The IUCN/SSC Shark Specialist Group
Shark News 5: October 1995
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Galapagos Under Siege
Recent events in the Galapagos Islands continue to raise concern
about the future of all living marine resources, including sharks, in
the archipelago. On 3 September 1995, a group of individuals in
Galapagos closed the road to the National Park Headquarters and
Charles Darwin Research Station, occupied the Park Headquarters,
closed the road to one airport, and took over another airport. In
addition, they threatened to take tourists hostage and burn parts of the
National Park. This is the third time since August 1994 that a small
interest group has threatened violence against the conservation
institutions of the Galapagos Islands.
The 'strike' resulted from discontent over a decision by Ecuador's
President Duran-Ballen to veto a new special law for the Galapagos.
The law would have, among other things, turned over the majority of
the control and management of the Galapagos National Park and
other natural resources to local political interests. Such a precedent
would pose a grave threat to the integrity of the Galapagos Marine
Resource Reserve. These same political interests have fought necessary controls on sea cucumber fishing and have pressed to open the Galapagos to large-scale export fisheries (Camhi 1995).
As we go to press, the situation is worsening. Although the sea
cucumber fishery is officially closed, more than 600,000 sea cukes
per month are being exported to Asian markets, along with sea horses,
pipefish and sea urchins. Despite the official ban on shark fishing in
the Reserve, there is evidence that illegal shark fishing and finning
continues.
The conservation community supports President
Duran-Ballen in his refusal to negotiate with individuals
that incite violence and threaten destruction of public
resources. A special law is needed for Galapagos to
address the issues of unsustainable marine resource
exploitation, uncontrolled immigration, introduction of
exotic species, and appropriate socio-economic
development for Galapagos residents. But Ecuador must
reject the path of intensive fishing for export markets if
the Galapagos Islands are to remain an ecological
treasure of national and global significance - and a
long-term and dependable source of income for Ecuador.
Camhi, M. 1995. Industrial fisheries threaten the ecological integrity
of the Galapagos Islands. Conservation Biology 9(4): 715-719.
Merry Camhi
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