The UNESCO World Heritage Committee voted on Wednesday to remove the Galapagos Islands from its World Heritage in Danger List.  But the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criticized the decision, saying there was “still work to be done”.

“The situation in the Galapagos remains critical,” said Tim Badman, Head of IUCN’s World Heritage Programme.  “IUCN’s recommendation for the Galapagos was that it should not be removed from the Danger List as there is work still to be done.”

He said that he recognized “the major efforts of the Ecuadorian government” but stated that “threats from tourism, invasive species and overfishing are still factors, and the situation in the Galapagos remains critical. We will need continued strong commitment from the Ecuadorian government over the coming years to resolve these issues.”

source: BBC News

During its annual meeting in Brazil, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee voted today to remove the Galapagos from its World Heritage in Danger List. The Galapagos Islands was placed on the list at the 2007 WHC meeting.

The proposal to remove the Galapagos from the list was made by Brazil, which recognized the work that has been done by the Ecuadorian government. The Brazilian president of the World Heritage Committee, Juca Ferreira, visited the islands last May. The proposal was supported by France, Mexico, Jordan, South Africa and Barbados. Opposing were Australia, Switzerland and Sweden.

Ecuador’s Minister of Environment, Marcela Aguiñaga, headed the Ecuadorian delegation. Edwin Naula, the Galapagos National Park Director, a member of the Ecuadorian mission, stated that “being removed from the list of endangered sites commits us even more to work hard in implementing management actions to ensure sustainable development of the islands “

source: Galapagos National Park

Tourism is the driving force behind the unprecedented change in the Galapagos during the last decade. All experts agree, it’s expanding at an unsustainable rate. The scientific and conservation communities say they can’t keep up.

Tourism Growth and Impacts

Foreign tourist arrivals were down by 11% in 2009 after a long upward surge. But we can expect them to resume growth beyond their historic high of 173,000 in 2008. (After September 11, for instance, there was a slight drop in Galapagos tourism, but then it quickly rebounded.)

Historically, tourism in the Galapagos has been viewed as a way to protect the islands against outright exploitation. More and more, however, we are understanding its serious impacts:

- introduction of alien species of plants, animals, and microbes.

- population growth to serve the growing industry.

- ever more equipment, construction materials, diesel and gas.

- pressure on resources like water and land.

- more and more services like sewage and recycling.

- erosion and crowding of visitor sites.

- pressures on conservation and science to keep pace.

Vision and Governance

The growth problem is compounded by the lack of a shared vision, and lack of effective governance, on the quantity and quality of tourism that best fits the Galapagos.

A labyrinth of institutions, governing bodies, municipalities, and ministries ensure that that loopholes and outright flaunting of regulations (where they exist) are common.  Without shared vision, planning, and control, the islands are wide open to blind market forces.

It recalls the deregulation of the US economy, which opened the system to exploitation by those with little interest in long term preservation or concern for the general welfare.  One good example of this in the Galapagos:

Sport Fishing

Sport fishing in the Galapagos is a graphic example of how unmanaged tourism growth and lack of governance are impacting the islands and marine reserve.

Over the years, the Park has repeatedly declared sport fishing to be illegal, while in reality this open secret has continued to grow. (IGTOA reported on this in 2005, when a sport fishing tournament was advertised for San Cristobal.)  Its most recent proliferation is due to a new tourist activity known as Pesca Artisinal Vivencial, or “artisanal fishing.”

In an effort to give local fishermen an alternative livelihood and to reduce pressure on fisheries, the government decided to allow some fishermen to take tourists out on their boats. The idea, to see how locals worked and lived, and catch a fish if they wished - cultural tourism.

 A sport whose intent is to lure and catch wildlife goes completely against the history, purpose, and spirit of Galapagos tourism.

Now, sport fishing companies are using artisanal fishing as a smokescreen to legitimize their business. For some reason, the Park has not intervened, even recently when another tournament was held. IGTOA and other NGO’s signed a petition against it, and there is outrage by many that it continues to be advertised and sold.

Sport fishing may or may not harm marine ecosystems, depending on how it is done. (In the Galapagos, there is absolutely no regulation, oversight, or monitoring.) However, a sport whose intent is to lure and catch wildlife goes completely against the history, purpose, and spirit of Galapagos tourism, where nature is literally left untouched and is simply observed and appreciated. This is a concept changer for an archipelago that serves an example to the rest of the world.

The Image of Galapagos

Although one can still visit the islands and have a wonderful experience, there is no doubt that the image of the Galapagos has been tarnished in recent years. Certainly, sport fishing will further tarnish the reputation.

These days, tourism is usually portrayed as the villain, and even the idea of visiting the islands is sometimes discouraged.

In recent years, the media has been replete with articles entitled, “Please Don’t Go,” “Overcrowding, mismanaged tourism threaten Galapagos Islands,” “Galapagos expels citizens as a flood of tourists threatens islands.” A recent book is titled: “Galapagos at the Crossroads: Pirates, Biologists, Tourists, and Creationists Battle for Darwin’s Cradle of Evolution.”

Although there are many excellent boats and guides, there has in fact been a discernible drop in overall quality. This is especially true in the past few years with the advent of new modes of tourism. (see below)

The Advent of Land Based Tourism

Sport fishing is one manifestation of a larger issue, on which IGTOA members need to focus. The issue is the unprecedented growth of land based tourism, which has few rules, boundaries, or limitations.

Land based (”island hopping”)tours have grown for several reasons:

Galapagos is expensive, and many can’t afford a live aboard boat cruise.  So there’s a steady and growing demand for lower priced options to visit the islands. toursignLive aboard cruising is not for everyone, and there is an appeal to staying on land and exploring on shorter boat trips. Tourism by Ecuadorians is also growing. Some of it is nature tourism, but most is traditional leisure tourism. Finally, there is a desire by the local population to participate in tourism, and people have devised new ways of doing this.

Impacts of Land Based Tourism

In the age of internet marketing, tour suppliers are able to short circuit the booking chain, away from those who can offer experience, monitoring, and advice. Travelers looking for inexpensive ways to visit the Galapagos can book directly, or just fly out to the islands and shop around.

Land based tours add a whole new layer onto a live aboard boat system that has served the islands well, and that has evolved a strict set of rules and guidelines.

As one boat operator noted, “We are the most regulated part of the chain. We cannot sail if we don’t have all the marine certifications, permits and itineraries from the Galapagos National Park, marine certifications for the crew, migration permits from INGALA, and guides with current licenses by the Park.”  In addition, many boat operators have gone way beyond the basic requirements to obtain expensive green certifications.

Land based tourism may not be bad in itself. But unchecked, open ended, unregulated tourism is. And perhaps more than any other factor, it is affecting the quality of the traveler experience and the public image of Galapagos tourism. A recent posting on TripAdvisor:

“We also did a land tour arranged via [the tour company] and were very disappointed. At this time I would say Galapagos isn’t ready for land tourism…”

Boat vs. Hotel Capacity: Between 1991 and 2006, the number of hotel beds increased by 90%, more than the 76% increase in the number of boat berths. Now boat capacity is capped, but hotel capacity is not. It reportedly exceeds that of boats and is growing. Hotels, of course, are permanent structures.

In Puerto Ayora right now, six hotels are being built, none with permits from the local municipality and the Ministry of Tourism. There are no codes, zoning, limits, plans. In the village of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island, the number of visitors has reportedly gone from 5,000 to 25,000 in the past six years. One hotel on Isabela is actually built partially on park lands.

Illegal Tour Operations: The growth of land based tourism, which fuels hotel construction, has been accompanied by an increase of local tour operators. An investigative report last month in the newspaper El Universo begins, “In Galapagos there are 134 licensed boats for sightseeing, but at least another 102 are working illegally…”

Statistics may vary, but no one disputes that there are many ad hoc operations patched together with local boats and inexperienced “guides.” Standards of guiding and safety are low. Some of these tours illegally go to designated Park visitor sites.

Tour Operators Own This Problem

One can argue that outside tour companies, such as IGTOA members, are responding to demand, not creating it. On the other hand, many companies extol the virtues of land based tours and are in this way helping to spur interest. To the extent that  land based tours are within reasonable limits, use licensed local operators, and monitor quality and impacts, it may be sustainable. To the extent that travel companies are pushing this as an option, without due diligence, without thought to permanent negative impacts, and without a call for limits and controls, we are part of the problem.

This is the first of two articles on issues facing the Galapagos Islands.  These appeared recently in our annual report to members.

In 2007 UNESCO moved the Galapagos Islands to its World Heritage in Danger List. It cited invasive species, human migration and settlement, uncontrolled tourism growth, and the failure of governmental institutions to deal with these threats.

Threats Facing the Galapagos

Simply stated, all pressures are still there and are increasing, especially tourism and governance.

As Gabriel López, the new Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation, recently warned:

“If the current pattern of growth is not altered, we face the loss of the natural treasures that make Galapagos unique.”

Now we must add the increased risk of climate change, which, like an El Niño event, can have devastating effects on the islands.  See the IGTOA report on this.

You can read more in depth with 2009 edition of Critical Issues in Galapagos, published by Galapagos Conservancy, Charles Darwin Foundation, and the Galapagos National Park.

If you haven’t yet, view the IGTOA video, Challenges Facing Galapagos and accompanying videos on best practices.

Some Positive Developments

Over the past three years, there has also been progress. Just this past month, a UNESCO monitoring group visited the islands and reported progress in several areas, particularly the threat of introduced species of plants and animals.

There are new controls, such as screening luggage for organic materials and spraying aircraft for insects. There are also plans for a new facility on the mainland where cargo boats can be inspected before they leave for the islands.

The eradication of goats from Islabela Island has been heralded as a major environmental achievement. And now there is a 5-year program for the restoration of Floreana Island.

With the introduction of immigration control cards, Illegal immigration has slowed down, though not been halted.

There is a new recognition of the need for culture building among the resident population. Although the educational system is still inadequate, some modest steps have been taken. IGTOA, for instance, funded a pilot project for an environmental education program.

Vessel Monitoring System

One of the most positive developments uses global positioning technology to monitor the Marine Reserve. After several years of work, the National Park Service, WildAid, the Ecuadorian navy and Conservation International launched a successful Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).

A small GPS unit is placed on all fishing, tourism, cargo and patrol boats over twenty tons. Boats regularly transmit their position, and a control center in the Park Service can view any boat’s location at any time.

This is a tremendous step forward. The Park can now detect illegal fishing by industrial fleets entering the Marine Reserve. It also benefits the local people by protecting fisheries and saving lives by giving the pinpoint position of boats in danger.

All smaller vessels are scheduled to join the system in the coming year. We’ll be describing an extension of this system in our discussion on project funding.

Issues with Galapagos Tourism

Coming soon, we’ll have an important discussion of the growth of tourism and IGTOA’s response.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: EL COMERCIO
A Danish tourist of 61 years passed away, after the accident suffered by the Tourist boat M/Y Rumba offshore from Port Villamil (Isabela Island) in the Galapagos Islands. The mishap occurred last night (july 2nd 2010), around the 21h00 (22h00 mainland Ecuador time [GMT-5]) and this afternoon, around the 15h00 the body was recovered.

According to the Galapagos National Park Authorities (PNG) report, the mishap occurred when the boat was realizing part of its itinerary off the southeast coast of Puerto Villamil (Isabela Island). At the time of the incident 7 tourist were aboard, along with 5 crew members.

More than 25 Park Ranger of the National Park and personnel from the Headquarters of Port Villamil participated in the search and rescue of the Danish passenger along with the recovery and removal of the debris. A discharge of fuel from the baot was ruled out.

The passengers were rescued by another boat nearby and all remaining passengers and crew are in good health and they were transfered to a local a hotel. The Ministry of Tourism is currently assisting passengers.

And addition source (El Universo) mentions the following addition facts:

The remaining six passengers aboard were two Irish, two Israelis and the wife and daughter of Nils (the 61 year old Danes that lost his life), also of Danish nationality.

The incident apparently occurred after a large wave struck the small wooden boat, Rumba, causing it to capsize. The boat is completely destroyed.