RESEARCH QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE OSTACLES FACING THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVANCY?

What are the obstacles facing the Galapagos Conservancy?

"Ninety-five percent of the reptiles, 50% of the birds, 42% of the land plants, 70% to 80% of the insects and 17% of the fish live nowhere else in the world" according to Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman in their article “Can the Galapagos Survive” (Lemonick and Dorfman). The Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean are in danger. Excessive tourism, the growing encroachment of invasive species introduced by immigrants and the overfishing of the surrounding waters are taking a toll on the biodiversity of the islands. These are three major obstacles which face the Galapagos Conservancy in their efforts to preserve the Galapagos Islands.
One of the threats to the biodiversity on the Galapagos Islands is the rising number of visitors. Tourism numbers are "growing 8% a year" claims Lemonick and Dorfman (Lemonick and Dorfman). While this tourism brings the anticipated turnover for the government, the quantity of tourists may be damaging the Galapagos Islands. To accomodate the staggering number of tourists more hotels are being built, public transportation is increasing and the waste and pollution levels are growing. According to Michael Buckley in his article, "Islands of Wonder and Shame", "Tourism is a two-edged sword: it brings in much-needed revenue to the tune of $75 million a year, but excessive tourism simply won't work in a natural setting involving wildlife" (Buckley). Unless more action is taken by the government to preserve the Galapagos Islands from the growing number of visitors, this human interaction will threaten the unique biodiversity found on the islands. One of the few limits set by the government is that "just 84 tour ships are allowed to travel the area's waters each year" as mentioned by Juliet Eilperin in her article "Ecotourism - A Double-Edged Sword" (Eilperin). Limiting the people on tour ships is not enough, since an unlimited amount of tourists can still visit the islands by plane. Margaret Kriz states in her article "Galloping Growth Threatens the Galapagos", "In 1975, government officials allowed only 25,000 visitors on the islands each year. Today, no such limits are in place". Without limiting the visitors or imposing higher fees for entering any of the Galapagos Islands the ecosystem will be under continuous strain.
Another big challenge for the Galapagos Conservancy is the immigration of people, mostly from the neighboring mainlands, who bring their pets. Lemonick and Dorfman state that the "human explosion has brought in hundreds of ... animal species that are threatening to devastate endemic life" (Lemonick and Dorfman). The majority of immigrants are from the mainland of Ecuador who follow the call of tourism to the Galapagos Islands with the dream of making fast money off of tourists. The problem is two-fold in that the immigrants bring their pets with them. In his article Michael Buckley points out that "Quarantine regulations were half-hearted between 1985 and 1992, over 100 new species are thought to have entered the Galapagos" (12). Since the Galapagos Islands are unique due to the limited species, any new introduction of species disrupts the balance of the biodiversity. Lemonick and Dorfman point out one specific example, "Fire ants and two types of alien wasps have taken hold on several islands, as have 300 species of non-native plants--100 of them in the past decade" (Lemonick and Dorfman). Furthermore, immigration of pets causes a strain on the existing, limited population of unique species. Dogs, one of the most common pets of humans, is accused by Lemonick and Dorfman, "Dogs have eaten most of the land iguanas" (Lemonick and Dorfman). In need of milk, cheese and meat, the immigrants also brought their goats and burros over to the Galapagos Islands. As stated by Lemonick and Dorfman, "Some of the most vicious predators are goats and burros which have been transported to the islands by mankind. The goats knock down cacti and trees and munch on the vegetation on which the tortoises depend, while the burros trample the tortoise nests" (Lemonick and Dorfman). This introduction of pets to the islands brought an imbalance with it because the pets have no natural enemies there. Following this alarming message, the United Nations added the Galapagos Islands to their List of World Heritage in Danger in 2006.
The third big threat to the Galapagos Islands that the Conservancy must contend with is the illegal fishing. Many locals buy a boat and then fish without a license. According to Jack Grove, a Florida-based naturalist and photographer and founder of the nonprofit group Conservation Network International, as quoted in the article by Lemonick and Dorfman, "Many fishermen bought their registrations on the black market" (Lemonick and Dorfman). In this article Lemonick and Dorfman also explain how this illegal fishing destroys the food sources of the native animals: "Unlicensed fishermen had cut down and burned protected mangroves (home of the rare mangrove finch) to dry their sea cucumbers and had slaughtered dozens of giant tortoises for food" (Lemonick and Dorfman). The illegal fishing led to an overfishing and, due to exceeded limits, the government had to step in and limit the quantity of fish to be caught legally. According to Malcolm G. Scully in his article, "The Fragile Galapagos: An Ecosystem Under Siege", "The problem arose, at least in part, because more fishermen have come to the islands from the mainland each year, and overall limits on the catch mean fewer fish ... per fisherman" (Scully). Limiting the fishing caused a panic and a fear of losing one's livelihood to the fishermen, since many of them are "deeply in debt for new boats and equipment" as quoted from Buckley (Buckley). As a result, the fishermen became enraged since their livelihood was in danger, and some of them seized official offices and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Margaret Kriz mentions in her article "Galloping Growth Threatens The Galapagos", "The activists sought to expand the regions in which fishing is permitted and demanded that the government allow them to use fishing techniques known to kill endangered species" (Kriz).
The Galapagos Conservancy faces many obstacles in their efforts to maintain the Galapagos Islands’ ecosystems. The biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands is under threat from excessive tourism, immigration paired with the introduction of invasive species and uncontrolled fishing. The government of the Galapagos Island has to keep a closer eye on the preservation of the islands. By cutting the yearly number of tourists allowed and reducing fuel consumption for tourist boats, for example by slower cruising speeds, could help. Only biodegradable soaps and detergents should be used aboard the boat and all the food and supplies should be bought from Galapagos farmers. In addition, the tour boat operators could hire local people for their tours, thus reducing local dependency on fishing. By implementing environmentally friendly technologies such as solar and wind energy and introducing hybrid vehicles, which eject less exhaust fumes, the Galapagos Islands can retain their integrity as a unique ecosystem, the chief goal of the Galapagos Conservancy.

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