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The Galapagos Face Uncertain Future
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Fifty-three sea lions found bludgeoned to death on the Galapagos Islands draw attention to the vulnerability of a valuable ecosystem. Conservationists urge tourists to behave responsibly.
30-Second Summary
According to a Jan. 27 article in The New York Times, the annual number of visitors to the Galapagos has risen from 40,000 in 1990 to 145,000 in 2006.
The damage this tourist boom has caused was underscored by the recent discovery of 53 dead sea lions on Pinta Island.
In July 2007, the Galapagos Islands were added to Unesco’s “List of World Heritage in Danger," reported The Guardian. Critics worried that the list would prompt even more tourists to visit.
Over the past two years, partner organizations the Galapagos Conservancy and the Charles Darwin Foundation have called on local officials to reconsider their tourism policies.
“The tourist sector has shown that it is not interested in conservation,” Ecuadorian environmentalist Deborah Chiriboga told the Galapagos Conservation Trust in response to increasing cruise ship activity.
In 2001, a ship struck a reef near San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos, spilling nearly 144,000 gallons of oil into the ocean. According to The Daily Telegraph, the ship had been transporting fuel to another tourist vessel.
The Web site Responsible Travel encourages people to visit the Galapagos Islands, but to do so with care and caution: “The long term future of the Galapagos lies in setting a balance between protection of the environment, the creation of sustainable local economic development and ensuring that the visitor experience is not diminished.”
The damage this tourist boom has caused was underscored by the recent discovery of 53 dead sea lions on Pinta Island.
In July 2007, the Galapagos Islands were added to Unesco’s “List of World Heritage in Danger," reported The Guardian. Critics worried that the list would prompt even more tourists to visit.
Over the past two years, partner organizations the Galapagos Conservancy and the Charles Darwin Foundation have called on local officials to reconsider their tourism policies.
“The tourist sector has shown that it is not interested in conservation,” Ecuadorian environmentalist Deborah Chiriboga told the Galapagos Conservation Trust in response to increasing cruise ship activity.
In 2001, a ship struck a reef near San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos, spilling nearly 144,000 gallons of oil into the ocean. According to The Daily Telegraph, the ship had been transporting fuel to another tourist vessel.
The Web site Responsible Travel encourages people to visit the Galapagos Islands, but to do so with care and caution: “The long term future of the Galapagos lies in setting a balance between protection of the environment, the creation of sustainable local economic development and ensuring that the visitor experience is not diminished.”
Headline Links: Galapagos at risk
In addition to examining the environmental impact of tourism in the Galapagos, The New York Times comments on the changing face of travel in the region. According to a Darwin Foundation report cited in the article, traveling in the islands has become “more selective in terms of required comfort and better served by multinational tour operators.”
Source: The New York Times
A group of 53 sea lions, including 13 young pups, were found dead on a part of the Galapagos archipelago known as Pinta Island. The animals’ heads had been caved in, leading Galapagos National Park official Victor Carrion to believe that they were killed by “a strong blow from someone.” The deaths are under investigation by Ecuadorian officials, but the possibility of that the sea lions were killed for body parts has been ruled out.
Source: The BBC
In July 2007, the Galapagos Islands were added to the Unesco “List of World Heritage in Danger” on account of the increased risk to wildlife caused by “invasive species, increased tourism, and the immigration of workers.” Some critics, including adventure tourism operator Pete Burell, worry that the new status could worsen the Galapagos’ situation by increasing interest in the area.
Source: The Guardian
Background Links: Tourism out of control?
In 2005, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) expressed concern over the Galapagos region’s economic model. The CDF called on island authorities to acknowledge its “cycle of spiraling growth.” The foundation focused on local authorities’ efforts to increase tourism, and the impact of emerging activities such as sport fishing, large cruise ships and diving tours.
Source: Charles Darwin Foundation
In a July 2007 press release, the Galapagos Conservancy echoed the concerns expressed by partner the Charles Darwin Foundation, arguing that the arrival of big cruise ships could bring invasive species to the islands. “Tourism to Galapagos is now a matter of quantity and not quality,” the press release said.
Source: Galapagos Conservancy
In response to the April 2006 arrival of 500-passenger Discovery World Cruise ships in San Cristobal, environmentalists and Galapagos Islands mayors discussed their apprehensions over the growth of tourism in the region. “The tourist sector has shown that it is not interested in conservation. They are mainly responsible for the uncontrolled immigration into the islands,” Deborah Chiriboga, an Ecuadorian environmentalist said.
Source: Galapagos Conservation Trust
Unesco outlines what it means for the Galapagos Islands to have World Heritage Status, including why the region received it. The group also addresses various concerns for the islands, such as tourism management, the effects of urbanization and agriculture on land and the amount of waste generated by visitors.
Source: Unesco.org
Related Links: Wildlife in danger
In 2001, The New York Times reported that the Ecuadorian tanker Jessica had spilled approximately 144,000 gallons of oil after colliding with a reef a half-mile from San Cristobal Island. The Jessica had been carrying 240,000 gallons, much of which was transferred off the boat by crews before fuel began seeping through the ship’s damaged cargo hold.
Source: The New York Times
According to an article from British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, the Jessica was transporting fuel for a tourist ship when it struck the reef. The incident is evidence of mass tourism’s ill effects in the Galapagos, according to conservationist Godfrey Merlin. “We’re becoming highly consumptive, contrary to the islands’ interests,” Merlin said.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
On the Web site Responsible Travel, a man recounts his honeymoon visit to the Galapagos: “We swam with turtles, rays, penguins, sharks, and a multitude of fish.” He also offers advice for traveling responsibly in the region, and interviews the Executive Director of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association, David Blanton, about future tourism issues. These issues include limiting tourism and offering alternative means of income for illegal fishermen.
Source: Responsible Travel
Reference: First visitors to the Galapagos
An American University case study of Galapagos Tourism details Charles Darwin’s first exploration of the islands, the tourism boom in the 1960s and the formation of the Ecuador’s National Tourism Board.
Source: American University
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