Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
the
Galápagos Islands
. This island archipelago has been identified as “Evolution's
Workshop” following the pioneering work of such bio-geographers and zoolo-
gists as Charles Darwin, David Lack, and Peter and Rosemary Grant (Larson
2002
). One-third of the archipelago's vascular land plants are endemic, as are nearly
all the reptiles, half the breeding land birds, and almost 30% of the marine species.
This has led to an international movement to preserve the islands' unique eco-
system, and the support of the Ecuadorian Government, to which the islands
belong. The plan was for controlled tourism to help safeguard the rich flora and
fauna, while sustaining livelihoods for the locals. The Charles Darwin Research
Station, run by the Charles Darwin Foundation, was set up in 1959 (
www.darwin-
foundation.org/
); UNESCO declared the Galápagos one of its first four World
Heritage Sites in 1978; a Biological Marine Resources Reserve was set up in
1986, with a zoning plan in place by 1992; and a 1998 'Special Law' restricted
movement of mainland Ecuadorians to the islands. It looked like the environmen-
talists had secured the upper hand in the context of a positive-sum game (UNEP/
WCMC
2006
).
But the experience has proved exasperating. Hoping to find work, and lured by
the prospects of a better life, people from mainland Ecuador have literally invaded
the Islands. The 1949 population was just 800. The 1990 Census reported an island
population of 9,735. In 2005, the resident population was 28,000, and is growing at
6.5% per annum. Tourism has been too successful: despite high prices - the
National Park charges a US$100 entrance fee on foreign tourists - the stream of
visitors has never wavered: Not surprising, considering that the average cost of a
US package to the Galápagos was already around US$3,000 in 2001 (Kerr
2006
).
In the 1960s, there were around 1,000 tourists annually; some 140,000 visitors
turned up in 2006. A third airport has been built; and cruise ship visitations started
in 2007. Tourists visiting the park are expected to total about 180,000 in 2008
(Kraul
2008
).
Tensions at Work
The Galápagos case is illustrative of the many interesting tensions at work in
these island contexts: reminding us that 'development' is always contested since
it begets both winners and losers. Although a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this
archipelago is witnessing “the mixed blessings of greenery”: finding it hard to
prevent invasions of mainland Ecuadoreans to settle on its territory, threatening
its unique environment and species (e.g. Larson
2002
; The Economist
2008
).
Some specific islands try to move away from the economic to the ecologic
model of development, with industrial and other stakeholders doggedly defend-
ing their way of life. Tasmania, for example, continues to struggle to define
itself, with a considerable lobby intent on commercially exploiting its old
growth forests, while other interests, differently considerable, are just as deter-
mined to protect and preserve them (e.g. Chen and Hay
2006
). In contrast, other
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