Tariffs on Penguin Island?

On April 2, the Trump administration shocked the world by announcing a sweeping array of tariffs on US trade partners—most surprising of all, on a group of islands mainly inhabited by penguins. Australia’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands territory, composed of predominantly barren sub-Antarctic volcanic islands, is one target of the universal 10% import tariff, where it appears on the White House’s list separately from the mainland (Thompson, 2025). This decision has simultaneously caused confusion within the Australian government and thrust this tiny territory into the spotlight, and its newfound fame has prompted many people to look into what makes these islands’ ecosystems so special. This article will provide an overview of the islands’ natural history, contextualize the recent tariff, and explain what this situation could mean for penguin conservation. 

These islands, which are totally uninhabited by humans, rank among the most remote places on the planet; located 2,500 miles (4,100 km) southwest of mainland Australia, their closest neighbor is the French territory Îles Kerguelen 280 miles (450 km) northwest (Location and geography, 2024). They are only accessible by sea, requiring a special permit and a 2-week trip through some of the roughest sailing conditions in the world (Frequently asked questions, 2005). First visited by humans in 1855, Heard Island has only had around 240 landings since, and McDonald Island has only had two, which occurred in 1971 and 1980 (Human activities, 2005). Their geographic isolation and often-extreme weather conditions severely limit human activity in the area, with occasional visits mainly occurring for scientific research purposes. The islands and the surrounding waters are part of a 25,000 square mile (65,000 sq km) marine reserve with a limited amount of commercial fishing allowed outside the reserve (Heard Island and McDonald Islands, 2023). 

The islands’ lack of human influence has helped preserve their ecosystems throughout time. In addition to holding Australia’s highest mountain peak as well as its only active volcanoes and glaciers, they house biological communities untouched by introduced species (Frequently asked questions, 2005; Australia falls short, 2024). Richard Leck, Head of Oceans for WWF-Australia, described the territory as “one of the last truly wild places on Earth,” explaining how they are “the only subantarctic island group with an entirely intact ecosystem” (Australia falls short, 2024). This, he reported, lets the islands’ biological and evolutionary processes continue unimpeded and situates them as important climate indicators for the future.  

The islands’ remarkably whole ecosystems are home to an impressive selection of animal life, including large populations of their most iconic residents: the penguins! Four different species use the islands and the surrounding waters to breed and feed, and while isolation helps them avoid some problems, they can still face some conservation challenges (Protecting a Penguin Paradise, 2024). The macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) is the most populous species in the region at around 1 million breeding pairs, yet it is also listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a rapid decline in global numbers (Eudyptes chrysolophus, 2020). The southern rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysocome) is likewise classified as vulnerable, as its worldwide population has been negatively impacted by climate change and resulting decreases in food availability (Eudyptes chrysocome, 2020). Other species are doing a bit better; king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are currently rebounding from being hunted nearly to extinction in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and gentoos (Pygoscelis papua) have a large range and stable population (Kintisch, 2020; Pygoscelis papua, 2020). 

All of these penguins, however, face the looming threats of anthropogenic climate change and commercial overfishing, prompting WWF-Australia to call for more comprehensive protections of their island habitat (Australia falls short, 2024). In 2024, Richard Leck voiced his support for a government proposal to quadruple the size of the Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve but stressed that the zoning plan failed to increase protections for many “high conservation value areas.” These spaces include toothfish spawning grounds, rare canyon habitat, and the eastern slopes’ macaroni penguin feeding grounds, which he predicted would become even more important for increasing resilience as climate change worsens.

Shifting focus back to the tariffs, examining the situation further can begin to reveal why they were imposed and what that could mean for the islands’ tuxedo-patterned tenants. The 10% tariff itself seems to have been determined using erroneous data; the islands have no buildings or human habitation, yet in 2022 the World Bank reported that Heard Island and McDonald Islands apparently sent the US $1.4 million worth of products, imports predominantly categorized as “machinery and electrical” goods (Lyons & Evershed, 2025). The Guardian identified this discrepancy as the result of mislabeling during shipping, especially for goods being shipped from Europe. In one instance, a bill of lading for a shipment of PET recycling plant parts originating from Vienna, Austria had somehow listed its address as “Vienna, Heard Island and McDonald Islands.” These kinds of oversights in labeling and legislation were attributed to a “lack of conventional interagency thinking” and the “rushed” nature of the tariff policy’s creation. 

Imposing tariffs on the penguin-filled islands has since caught international attention, creating an unexpected platform for both conservation education and humorous dissent against the policy. A variety of memes circulated depicting the penguins’ imagined response, ranging from gathering in protest (Figure 2) to brandishing swords (Figure 3). They have also made their way into real-life protests as the subject of anti-tariff signs and slogans (Figure 4). 

As opponents to the tariff policy gained an adorable mascot, conservationists jumped on the opportunity to raise awareness about the issues faced by penguins worldwide. On April 16, non-profit conservation organization Penguins International livestreamed the annual Antarctic penguin migration, naming it the “Protest March of the Penguins,” (Cody, 2025). This event helped fundraise for conservation and educate the public about real threats to penguins. Executive director David Shutt emphasized that 9 of 18 living species are categorized as vulnerable or endangered, expressing gratitude for the chance to get more people involved in addressing this problem. 

This situation spawned another unique opportunity to help the penguins: buying Heard Island rocks from them! Interested shoppers can head to the Heard Island Pebbles shop, an online storefront seemingly run by the penguins themselves (with some human web design help) where pebbles can be purchased in digital or physical form—and 100% of proceeds go towards their conservation (Cook, 2025). Every purchase supports WWF-Australia’s efforts to protect Heard Island penguins and conserve the area as a whole, and the organization also invites visitors to sign a petition expanding marine habitat protection and “adopt” their very own penguin stuffed animals through donations. Through creative and easy avenues like these, now ordinary people around the world can help further protect the islands and their new flippered friends.

 

 

Works Cited

Australia falls short in protecting penguin paradise. (2024). WWF Australia. https://wwf.org.au/news/2024/australia-falls-short-in-protecting-penguin-paradise/

Cody, D. (2025, April 16). Penguins to “stage protest” against Trump tariffs. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-tariffs-penguins-protest-islands-2060094

Cook, M. (2025, April 11). Trump just tariffed an island of penguins. Here’s how you can buy a pebble and support their “exports.” Goodgoodgood. https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/trump-tariffs-heard-island-penguins-pebble-export

Eudyptes chrysocome. (2020). BirdLife International. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22735250A182762377. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22735250A182762377.en. Retrieved February 20, 2022

Eudyptes chrysolophus. (2020). BirdLife International. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22697793A184720991. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22697793A184720991.en.

Frequently asked questions. (2005, February 28). Australian Antarctic Program. https://www.antarctica.gov.au/antarctic-operations/stations/other-locations/heard-island/frequently-asked-questions/

Heard Island and McDonald Islands. (2023, March 17). The World Factbook; Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands/

Heard Island Government [‪@heardislandgov]‬. (2025, April 2). It’s 9am TFT time here, and citizens are already gathering to protest Tariffs by the United States. [Image attached] [Post]. Bluesky. https://bsky.app/profile/heardislandgov.bsky.social/post/3lluzye3vsu2j

Human activities – Heard and McDonald Islands. (2005, February 28). Australian Antarctic Program. https://www.antarctica.gov.au/antarctic-operations/stations/other-locations/heard-island/human-activities/

Illumi [‪@illumi.meme]‬. (2025, April 3). [Image attached] [Post]. Bluesky. https://bsky.app/profile/illumi.meme/post/3llxe3xqjr22q

King, R. L., Moon, J., & Debusmann Jr, B. (2025, April 6). Anti-Trump protests held in cities across the US. Yahoo News. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/anti-trump-protests-cities-across-211634014.html

Kintisch, E. (2020, March 19). Why did nearly a million king penguins vanish without a trace? Science. https://www.science.org/content/article/why-did-nearly-million-king-penguins-vanish-without-trace

Location and geography – Heard Island and McDonald Islands. (2024, December 19). Australian Antarctic Program. https://www.antarctica.gov.au/antarctic-operations/stations/other-locations/heard-island/location-geography/

Lyons, K., & Evershed, N. (2025, April 4). Not that Norfolk! Mislabelled shipments led to Trump tariffs on uninhabited islands and remote outposts with no US trade. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/04/revealed-how-trump-tariffs-slugged-norfolk-island-and-uninhabited-heard-and-mcdonald-islands

Protecting a penguin paradise: Heard Island and McDonald Islands. (2024). WWF Australia. https://wwf.org.au/blogs/protecting-a-penguin-paradise-heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands/

Pygoscelis papua. (2020).  BirdLife International. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22697755A157664581. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22697755A157664581.en. Accessed on 22 April 2025.

Thompson, A. (2025, April 3). The uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, targeted by tariffs, are a biological wonderland. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-uninhabited-heard-and-mcdonald-islands-targeted-by-tariffs-are-a/