Recently in Issues Category

An article in today's Daily Telegraph by its Brazil correspondet, Robin Yapp, describes how :"Scientists in the Galapagos Islands, which inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, have launched a major project to save native species under threat from thousands of invasive rats.

Ten tons of 'cookies' laced with poison bait, which will entice rats but repulse other wildlife such as sea lions, birds, marine iguanas and sea turtles, were dumped from a helicopter during two fly-overs.

Black rats and Norway rats, which were introduced to the islands via pirates' ships in the 17th century, pose a significant threat to several of the unique Galapagos species.

They eat the eggs and hatchlings of turtles and Galapagos giant tortoises, spread disease and are capable of climbing to feed on the eggs of tree-nesting birds.

In all they have endangered some 50 bird species, including the Galapagos petrel, a seabird that breeds in excavated tunnels on high islands only in the Galapagos.
Galapagos National Park Service launched the "full-scale assault" against the rats with help from other organisations, including the Charles Darwin Foundation.

Felipe Cruz, director of technical assistance at the foundation, said invasive species pose the "greatest threat to nature in the Galapagos"

But scientists who carried out the helicopter drops say the operation went "extremely well" and monitors have already identified dead rats on the rocky terrain."

For the full article, please click here..

The Charles Darwin Foundation's Restoration Group Coordinator, Dr Mark Gardener, is featured in the 18 March edition of Science magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).  The article by Gaia Vince entitled Embracing Invasives, describes how conservationists are beginning to manage highly-disturbed ecosystems as biodiversity strongholds.   

According to GCT's chief executive Toni Darton: "Mark Gardener is trying to find ways to enable biodiversity and ecosystem services to be maximised and intervention minimised in the inhabited islands of Galapagos. Mark recognises that some uninhabited islands are in a near original state and entirely protected.  These islands are obviously different from the inhabited islands which have been highly modified, especially in the humid highlands.

"Mark goes on to say, in the article, that a  further challenge is marrying biodiversity and human needs to meet future conditions such as climate change and continuing human development through food cultivation and recharging groundwater.

"These are priority areas within GCT's 15 Steps to Help Save Galapagos and we believe that Galapagos could act as a model for the world in achieving this balance."

The Science article can be viewed here.

The owner of a Santa Cruz hotel has described to a New Zealand magazine how, upon his return from the evacuation to high ground, he found his his hotel had been damaged by a 2m high tsunami which "took the dining area, kitchen and six rooms out."
National Business Review

Galapagos Cruises reports that President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency earlier today and ordered people on the Galapagos Islands and the coast of the mainland to seek higher ground.

A similar alert was raised last February after an 8.8 earthquake hit Chile. As a precautionary measure the residents of the islands and visitors on the islands were evacuated from the coastal areas and remained in the highlands until after the alert was canceled. Galapagos Cruises were moved to deeper water further from land and all dive activities were cancelled for the day.

Travel operator OceanAdventures also reported earlier today that the latest instructions given by the port authorities in Puerto Ayora and the Galapagos National Park included:

All vessels that are at sea at this moment are advised to stay away from the cost in waters with at least 100 meters depth. The M.V. Eclipse will stay in a safe place in the waters around Espanola Island.

All vessels that are in port at this moment are advised to leave the port into deep waters with their passengers on board. However, we have managed to disembark our passengers on board the Athala II and they are now on their way to the Royal Palm Hotel in the safe highlands of Santa Cruz Islands, accompanied by our cruise director and the naturalist guide.

All flights to Galapagos are cancelled today until midnight. For our return flight tomorrow we will do our utmost to board all Eclipse and Athala passengers in our regular flight, however there may be some delays due to the backlog of passengers stranded on the islands today.

As part of the GCT-backed Project Floreana, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) has officially presented its Water Source Operations and Solid Waste Management System studies to the island's local authorities and the community at large. From the outset Project Floreana has been a flagship project for the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) and now forms a central plank of the Trust's 15 Steps to Help Save Galapagos.

Project Floreana links everything from species management to habitat restoration and tackling the human issues. GCT's chief executive, Toni Darton, said: "Project Floreana is the first time this approach has been taken on an inhabited island and could, we hope, not only restore Floreana and its wildlife but also provide a blueprint for the future."

During the presentation event, CDF Technical Assistance Director Felipe Cruz highlighted the importance of these studies and thanked the Floreana Parish Council and the Galapagos National Park for their joint support, adding: "We are committed to working for sustainable development and the all-round restoration of Floreana through community participation and the provision of resources for local capacity building, in pursuit of an enhanced quality of life for the island's inhabitants."

Felipe Cruz also informed the community that CDF will be holding a series of workshops in 2011 on creative thinking and sustainable tourism, among other topics, to be conducted by volunteer experts who will share their knowledge and skills with the island's residents. In conclusion, he presented two 2011 calendars prepared by CDF's Education team to reinforce the educational efforts being made on the island in the areas of solid waste management and native garden development.

Technologist Max Freire, Floreana Parish Council President, thanked CDF for the studies and pledged his support and collaboration to the Floreana Project, saying, "The Floreana community is grateful for the technical and scientific work being done by the Foundation on the island for the well-being and good living of its inhabitants."

In her intervention, CDF Education for Sustainable Development Coordinator Cristina Georgii briefed the community on CDF's environmental education plan for 2011, a project funded by GCT that will start off with holiday activities for island children in the second week of February.

After the formal presentations, the audience enjoyed a video summing up CDF's educational activities on Floreana last year and featuring children and parents from the Amazonas Elementary School.