CDF Press Release: Charles Darwin Foundation supports boat seizure

Pto Ayora.- The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) made public its recognition and support for the control that the Galapagos National Park (GNP) and the National Navy are exercising in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR).

Their vigilance and commitment has permitted the recent capture of the fishing boat from Manta, the Doña Blanca I, in the marine reserve. Officials found more than 160 illegally fished sharks stored within its hold.

This type of control complements the implementation of projects such as the shark tagging initiative in the islands of Darwin and Wolf, a project that has been jointly headed by the CDF and GNP since 2006.

As part of this project the CDF scientists and divers from the National Park carry out studies, monitoring and a baseline survey to collect detailed information about the population of sharks in the GMR.

According to Alex Hearn, the scientist responsible for the project: 'The importance of this work is that sharks are key species in the marine reserve, as top predators they are an indicator of the health of the marine ecosystem.'

The project has resulted in the tagging of a number of sharks including 92 Hammerhead Sharks, 12 Galapagos Sharks and 3 Whale Sharks, among others.

The compiled information will serve to determine how to maintain a correct balance in the maritime ecosystem and the protection of this species in danger, as well as create baseline data for controlling fishing in the archipelago.

The CDF and the GNP will prepare for the tagging and control of more shark species in Galapagos beginning in the middle of 2008.

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