Threat to the Galapagos

Jan. 4 -- The Galapagos islands give an idea of what the world might look have looked had humans not entered the picture, says one biologist.

But now that is changing.

A quarter of the species in the Galapagos, found no where else on earth, are threatened by over-fishing. But the market is so lucrative and government oversight so lax that there is no incentive for fishermen to reduce their catch, say biologists who study the area.

Natural Wealth

“There’s a group of people who would like to fish faster and harder than the fish, the lobster and other marine resources can replenish themselves,” says Carl Safina, director of the Living Oceans Program at the National Audobon Society.

That’s because amid the natural wealth, most people in Ecuador are desperately poor. Fishermen flock to the Galapagos to make a living, where exporters pay big money for their catch. Shark fins are flown to Hong Kong, while the lobster tail makes its way to the U.S.

“There’s a tremendous pull and just a bottomless appetite for what the locals can provide to distant markets,” says Safina. He adds that the fantastic prices mean the fantastic prices are simply

When Ecuador’s government told fishermen not to harvest as many fish, it was answered with threats and acts of vandalism.

“Fishermen have largely gotten their way by rioting, by threatening violence, and by intimidating people,” says Safina.

Conservationists say a plan is needed to protect the Galapagos Islands’ unique species by establishing a marine reserve. But there is no one to enforce protection as Ecuador has only one patrol boat for the entire group of islands.

Protestors say the fishermen are only going for short-term gain that is self-destructive. If they keep getting their way, environmentalists say, they will wipe out the sea life that made the Galapagos so rich to begin with.