GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

By Eric Chong & Justin Choo

Map of Galapagos Islands

Present Day Galapagos Islands

HISTORICAL STATE

For millions of years, the Galapagos Islands were not disturbed by humans. After they were discovered in 1535, people started to plunder the islands’ natural resources. Galapagos Tortoises, whales, and fur seals were all hunted to near extinction. Plants and animals were later introduced to the islands, which changed the natural balance of life and further endangered native species. The first laws were passed in the 1930’s to protect this area, but since there was no enforcement, the laws had little effect. Eventually in 1959, the first real progress in conservation was made. A non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research and conservation of the islands was established as the Charles Darwin Foundation. In the same year, the government of Ecuador also established 90% of the islands as Galapagos National Park. Together they have had an established presence in the islands since the 1960's.

HUMAN IMPACTS

            The human population in the Galapagos Islands has done destructive damage to both the environment and the species. One of the major problems is tourism. The number of tourist increased drastically over the past decade. As a result, the Galapagos Islands have to deal with conservation problems such as motor yachts and trash that people leave behind. Also, the diverse marine species also attract human population. People who immigrate to Galapagos Islands often find jobs in fishing industries. The over-fishing causes the reduction of diversity in marine species as well as the conflict between fisherman and the government’s attempt to conserve marine life. For example, the Giant Tortoise population has reduced to 15,000 during the past centuries because of their meat and oil.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

            Three models describe the future prospects of the ecosystem in Galapagos Islands: endogenous, exogenous, and perverse model. Endogenous model encourages high-quality, low-impact nature tourism. By maintaining eco-friendly tourism, the model would use tourism money to fund human societal welfare It will also improve the ecological conditions of the species by limiting the introduction of invasive species. The exogenous model states that the island would provide tourism and site for scientific research. The model summarizes the ecological effects as a "rapid loss of natural capital through an increased number of invasive species, over-exploitation of fisheries, misuse of scarce resource. groundwater pollution, and overall degradation of native ecosystems." This model is the most dominant of all three models. Finally, the most costly model is the perverse model. It predicts that non-native species will be introduced and the ecological stability will be damaged.

MAKING IMPROVEMENTS

            The damage done by human population can be repaired through limiting the tourism. Less tourism would reduce the amount of trash that people leave behind. Although it would affect Ecuador’s economy, we think that conserving the nature is more important. Also, less tourism would decrease immigration into Galapagos Islands which would minimize the damage by invasive species on the native species. In addition, the government should limit the commercial interests, such as fishing. Limiting over-fishing for commercial interests would preserve the endangered marine life. Thus, restriction on tourism and fishing would significantly improve the environment status and quality of life of native species that are endemic to the Galapagos Islands.

DATA TABLES

Population Growth 1950-2006

CONCLUSION 

The Galapagos Archipelago has remained a unique island in that its native species have been preserved despite frequent human interaction. Its history is characterized by a preponderance of unique species that have thrived in a rich ecosystem. However, recent developments via increased levels of tourism have threatened the vitality and biodiversity of the ecosystem. To ensure the protection of these species, national parks comprise 97% of the entire archipelago, while about three percent is open to tourism. These protected areas have alleviated some of the detrimental effects on the ecosystem. Despite progress to alleviate such environmental tensions, there still is a need for future planning that ensures the protection of the native species from the outside world. There are three distinct models that predict the future of the ecosystem, and the one that will hold out to be true depends on the activities the Ecuadorian government partakes in to maintain a delicate balance between people and the ecosystem.

WORKS CITED

CDF, GNP and INGALA. 2008. Galapagos Report 2006-2007, Puerto Ayora,
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