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UN Declares Ecuador's Galapagos Islands in Danger
Source: Copyright 2007, Reuters
Date: June 27, 2007
Original URL
The United Nations on Tuesday declared Ecuador's Galapagos islands in danger
as booming tourism and immigration threaten giant tortoises and blue-footed
boobies unique to the archipelago.
"They are threatened by invasive species, growing tourism and immigration,"
UNESCO's world heritage committee meeting in New Zealand said a statement.
The volcanic islands, located 625 miles (1,000 km) west of Ecuador's coast,
inspired British naturalist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Maria Espinosa said the committee's statement "will
help the government's efforts to solve the complex problems of the Galapagos."
President Rafael Correa declared the islands at risk in April and has vowed to
impose more rigorous population restrictions and temporarily suspend some
tourism permits.
The islands' growing tourism has lured thousands of workers' from the poor
mainland to work in construction, restaurants and cruise ships. Some bring
non-native species such as goat who compete for food with centenarian tortoises.
"This is a good thing because it will highlight the islands' problems," said
Linda Cayot, a science advisor with Galapagos Conservancy. "It will push not
only Ecuador, but conservationist groups to support work there."
Copyright 2007, Reuters
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