Galapagos: World Heritage in Danger
Sunday, July 15th, 2007In June, UNESCO placed the Galapagos Islands on its list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. The change in status represents a significant milestone in a downward spiral that IGTOA has been reporting for years. Most recently:
In 2004, IGTOA itself wrote the World Heritage Committee asking them to investigate what we believed were serious problems facing the islands and Marine Reserve.
Our January 2005 newsletter warned, “Slowly but surely, we’re losing the fight to preserve the Galapagos Islands. Yes, tourism is doing fine, and travelers are arriving in record numbers. But look a little deeper; the news is not good. At the peak of their popularity, the Galapagos are in trouble…â€
In January 2006, we warned about alarming changes in Galapagos tourism, particularly the danger of mass tourism.
This report provides yet another opportunity for us to understand the critical issues facing Galapagos and express our views on tourism development.
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| Previous UN mission reports to the World Heritage Committee (2005, 2006) described the following major threats and statistics: Introduction of invasive species; Illegal fishing (an estimated 300,000 sharks are taken illegally from Galapagos waters every year); inability to apply laws; illegal immigration and population growth (an estimated 20% of the 30,000 residents of Galapagos are there illegally.)
This year, tourism was expressly added: “They are threatened by invasive species, growing tourism and immigration. The number of days spent by passengers of cruise ships has increased by 150 percent over the past 15 years, for example. This increase has fueled a growth in immigration and the ensuing inter-island traffic has led to the introduction of more invasive species” The WHC decision launched a barrage of coverage in the world press. Most articles simply echoed the UN press release. But some considerably distorted the picture. One egregious example: “Ecuador Weighs Galapagos Turtles vs Tourists Beaches Versus Boobies Such simple minded characterizations do damage by obscuring the real issues. The situation is complex, as a new study by the Charles Darwin Foundation reveals. |
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| The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) functions much like an immune system for Galapagos. It detects potentially harmful intruders and works with other systems (such as the government inspection and quarantine body) to isolate and control them. It has done this with plants, insects, and animals. Now it has added a new invader.
Graham Watkins, Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation, has produced what CDF terms a “groundbreaking study” and “one of the most important papers” it has ever released. It identifies tourism is the main driver of both invasive species and human migration. The report describes a complex system, explaining “the drastic economic, social, cultural and ecological changes during the last 15 years in the archipelago. Among its key points: * “The principal cause of these changes has been development driven by tourism which has grown economically at 14% per year. This growth is demonstrated by the numbers of visitors to Galapagos from 40,000 in 1990 to over 140,000 in 2006.” * “The growth of tourism and the population stimulate the arrival of more flights and more cargo boats, decreasing the isolation of the archipelago and thereby increasing the arrival of invasive species - the greatest threat to the native biodiversity.” * “The financial flows from tourism contribute to increasing immigration to the islands and result in higher demands for public services and jobs creating a vicious cycle of growth and immigration.” The report is recommended reading for all IGTOA members and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics and complexities of the Galapagos Islands today.
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| Read the whole study | |
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| The view that tourism is the engine of change in Galapagos, driving immigration and invasive species, needs to be prefaced with an important point: IGTOA, and most informed observers, believe that carefully designed, properly managed nature travel is the best way to preserve the Galapagos Islands.
Tourism is neither good nor bad. The problem is with runaway, unregulated, unplanned, ineptly administered tourism development. To harness the energy of tourism and direct its potential for conservation, wise policies, clear regulations, and effective enforcement are required. Our belief in the potential of tourism, and our view that its management was seriously lacking, prompted the formation of IGTOA twelve years ago. The problems were alarming even then. Since that time, eight or more government administrations and a dozen Park Directors have come and gone; tourism and human settlement have exactly doubled; illegal sport fishing has grown; and a 500-passenger cruise ship has been allowed entry. IGTOA’s 1995 Founding Principles Revisited The following text is taken verbatim from our founding document in 1995, the first document IGTOA ever produced. IGTOA’s views have been consistent - our founding document mirrors today’s key issues. “Other world island systems continue to be destroyed through mismanagement, exploitation, and the introduction of exotic species. It is our intention to prevent the Galapagos Islands from sharing their fate. The conservation issues that we feel need to be urgently addressed are the following: Population Pressures: People are the beneficiaries of the islands’ heritage, but they also present its most serious threat. We recognize that the islands offer a limited space for residents and visitors and insist that certain limits be imposed. Human Settlement: The steep growth in population in the islands and the spread of permanent human settlements are in conflict with long-term economic and conservation goals. It is vital that the number of people moving to and settling on the islands be limited. At the same time, tourism can and should provide tangible benefits to the local populations. There should be improved living conditions created for those who are already there, particularly in educational, sanitation, and health-related areas. Tourist Numbers: Uncontrolled growth of tourism to the islands will threaten the quality of the visitor experience, the economic viability of the industry, and the ecological integrity of the islands themselves. A carefully-designed plan, based on sound ecological and economic principles, is needed to control the growth and diversification of tourism. Low Impact Nature Travel: The model of tightly controlled and organized nature-oriented tourism established in the Galapagos twenty-five years ago has served the islands well. Unspoiled nature is the attraction for travelers to the Galapagos. New types of tourism, however, are threatening to change the entire character and purpose of travel to the islands. Among these: * There has been pressure to allow large passenger ships in excess of four hundred people, to operate in the islands. We are completely opposed to this movement away from low-impact nature tourism. Introduced Species: Without substantial reduction in the rate of species introductions to the islands, the unique biological value of the Galapagos will be quickly lost. To preserve the unique character of these islands, biological isolation must be re-established and maintained. There must be strict quarantine and control policies and programs, particularly measures to prevent introductions associated with the supplies to the islands. Regulations & Enforcement: We recognize and congratulate the efforts of the Government of Ecuador in protecting this World Heritage Site. Many of the needed rules and regulations are already in place. Also urgently required is their proper enforcement, including a patrol system designed to protect the marine environment of the islands. Our goal is to promote the adherence to the rules and regulations of the Galapagos National Park and other conservation regulations and treaties.
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| There are many urgent changes needed, especially the education and inclusion of local residents, so they can become true stakeholders and stewards of their natural heritage. Building such a culture is an indispensable step in creating a healthy, self-regulating system.
IGTOA can also offer some recommendations, purely from a travel marketing point of view. The current market direction, the drift toward a theme park, is a recipe for disaster. Policy makers must shape tourism in a strategic way by designing a specific kind of travel experience for a specialized type of traveler. Yes, a limit on the number of tourists is required. But simply setting a cap, and making Galapagos affordable for the few, is a blunt policy instrument. Designing the right kind of travel experience will select for the right kind of traveler - one who is willing to visit Galapagos on its own terms, without embellishments, artificial ingredients, gimmicks, luxury resorts, or fake attractions. There are ways to attract this type of traveler: a strict focus on nature, science, and educational travel; a preponderance of smaller (16-45 passenger) live aboard boats; longer (7-14 day) itineraries; highly qualified guides; limited hotel development with the highest environmental standards; limited, and strictly nature-oriented, land based tours; understanding of this model of tourism among residents and officials. A pure, in-depth nature experience will select against masses of tourists that require large cruise ships, entertainment, artificial attractions, or generic adventure sports. Catering to a smaller, specialized market niche will enlist market forces that yield (a) manageable numbers, and (b) the type of tourism that is compatible with the goal of science, conservation, and responsible travel - sustainability. For more information on our views on sustainable tourism development, contact IGTOA. exd@igtoa.org
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