Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of the Charles Darwin Research Foundation, have been rel-
atively successful. Some of the wild dogs, goats, pigs and
cats have been eradicated or are now under an amount of
control.
Today, the greatest threats to life throughout the islands
are from human encroachment and habitat loss from agri-
cultural expansion, primarily as it relates to tourism. The
majority of the population growth has occurred since tour-
ism became popular in the 1960s and is directly or indi-
rectly associatedwith the tourist dollar. In 1950, there were
1,346 inhabitants; by 1999 that figure had grown to 16,184.
This represents a 6.4% growth rate, higher than anywhere
else in LatinAmerica or evenAfrica. Fortunately, the Ecua-
dorian government has recently implemented a morato-
rium on colonization in the islands and the population
hovers somewhere over 20,000 inhabitants today.
Agricultural expansion, particularly in the highlands of
Santa Cruz Island, has significantly reduced populations of
Darwin's finches. During a recent visit, my guide, a native
Galapaqueño, said that when he was young the finches
were everywhere near his home, but now they have disap-
peared. The mangrove finch, as well, has been reduced to a
few hundred individuals residing within the remaining
mangrove stands on Isabela Island. None of the species are
extinct - so far. Finally, increased and indiscriminate fish-
ing continues to threaten marine ecosystems throughout
the islands.
Although the government regulates the number of tourists
and vessels allowed into the park, revisions are made and
loopholes are easily found. For example, a previous freeze
on the number of vessels allowed was manipulated when
yachts were reconstructed to accommodate more people
(the result is crowded conditions on all vessels). In addition,
there are several political figures involved in regulating the
islands, and often their incentives are at odds. The number
of tourists has increased from 11,765 in 1979 to as many as
66,000 by recent estimates. The National Park Service has
assured the International Galápagos Tour Operators Asso-
ciation that they will not further increase the number of
“cupos,” or permits available to visitors.
The stress onwildlife and trail conditions from tourismcan-
not be overstated. A recent discussion with a couple of Ger-
man “photographers” who were ignoring our guide's plea to
stay on the trail arose from a general misconception shared
by most tourists. Just because an animal does not fly away
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