In recent years especially, conservation advocates, preservation experts, locals, and even tourism outfitters are all aware of the problems caused by increased human presence on the Galapagos Islands. As the effects of these problems coming about, mostly because of the prevalence of ecotourism becomes more evident, as is occurring rapidly, these stakeholders have all attempted to collaborate in order to arrest the escalation of ecological degradation in the Galapagos. One of the strategies that was introduced in the late 1990s was putting a cap or maximum visitor limit on the number of visitors who could be on the main islands at any given time. Independent travel and tourism was also discouraged and, more recently, has been all but phased out; tourists wishing to visit the Galapagos must now choose amongst a group of approved tour operators in order to access the islands (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007). The island has also placed a strong emphasis on the values and practices of ecotourism in an attempt to attract a certain kind of tourist, one who is hopefully more respectful of the ecology of place and is sensitive to the fact that once lost, it cannot be recovered (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007). One must understand, with this in mind, that keeping the Galapagos pristine for many locals is not simply a matter of preservation for biodiversity, but the local economy which thrives as a result of the tourist industry.

Despite the concentrated and committed efforts of these different stakeholder groups, the Galapagos Conservancy (2007) notes that conservation and preservation efforts have been frustrated by a number of issues. First, the increase in the number of permanent inhabitants on the islands has not automatically resulted in the creation of a local culture and identity; as Metropolitan Touring (2003) points out, most of the residents have lived on the island five years or less. Thus, the locals do not have a uniform vision of how or why the community in which they live should be protected, and because they are economically isolated from mainland South America, they recognize that their livelihood depends, to a great extent, on the profits accrued through tourism. A related problem is the laissez-faire approach that the government of Ecuador has traditionally taken towards the challenges experienced on the Galapagos, leaving poorly resourced islanders to cope with problems themselves or with the aid of international scientists and environmental advocates (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007). Fortunately, though, this situation seems to be reversing itself; UNESCO (2007) announced earlier this year that the Ecuadorean government is becoming more engaged in Galapagos-related concerns. If preservation efforts are to be successful, the current strategies of quota and controlled tours should be continued, but more effort needs to be directed towards capacity-building for the infrastructure of the islands. The purpose of such capacity-building is not to take up precious land and habitat by constructing new services and facilities, but to upgrade existing systems so that they can handle adequately the number of people who live and visit the Galapagos each year.

The Galapagos Islands are a precious ecological zone that are valuable to the entire world, as they are home to unique geographical features and living species that exist nowhere else on our planet. Preservation efforts to date are admirable but not been adequate for controlling the deleterious impact that humans have had on the islands. Although current efforts should by no means be abandoned, they need to be expanded and complemented with infrastructure-strengthening measures spearheaded and supported by the government. The increase in ecotourism and human activity in general on the Galapagos has been substantial over the past 17 years, and the effects have been visible and tangible. In order to prevent species loss, environmental degradation, and inordinate stress on the local infrastructure, preservation efforts must be stepped up so that the unique richness of this biodiverse ecological zone can be maintained for the enjoyment of future generations.

References

Galapagos Conservancy. (2007). Conservation challenges. Retrieved on October 20, 2007 from http://www.galapagos.org/conservation/challenges.html

Jackson, M.H. (1993). Galapagos: A natural history. Calgary: University of Calgary Press.

Metropolitan Touring. (2003, July). The Galapagos human history, part 1. Metropolitan Touring Newsletter. Retrieved on October 20, 2007 fromhttp://www.oneplaneteducation.com/galapagos/galapagos_july2.html

UNESCO World Heritage. (2007, April 16). UNESCO Mission confirms threat to Galapagos Islands. Retrieved on October 20, 2007 fromhttp://www.whc.unesco.org/en/news/322