Spring/Summer 2021 - Galapagos Matters Magazine - Galapagos Conservation Trust

GALAPAGOSMATTERS 

SPRING | SUMMER 2021 

Galapagos 

evolution 

MARINE 

PROTECTION 

Coral reefs 

galapagosconservation.org.uk

GALAPAGOSMATTERS 

CONTENTS 

Cover 

The Galapagos rail is a small 

native land bird, well-known for 

its elusive behaviour. It is listed 

as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red 

List and is threatened by invasive 

species and habitat loss. Research 

is being undertaken to understand 

more about these little-seen birds 

in order to protect them from 

extinction. © Michael Dvorak 

4-5 Wild Galapagos 

6 -7 Galapagos News 

8 -11 Galapagos rails and daisies 

Despite being the world’s living laboratory, there 

is still so much we don’t know about the unique 

wildlife of Galapagos. Jaime A. Chaves reveals how 

understanding the genetics of rare species such as 

Galapagos rails and Scalesia trees can help us to 

conserve them. 

12-13 Project Updates 

14 UK News 

15 -17 All at sea 

The marine resources of Galapagos are under threat. 

In the lead up to two key international conferences this 

year, our CEO, Sharon Johnson, discusses what the 

impact of international fishing and other threats could 

mean for geopolitical relations for Ecuador and the 

protection of its waters. 

18-19 Supporting livelihoods 

Traditionally the Galapagos Islands have relied on 

tourism as their main source of income. Following the 

lockdown in 2020 and the continued global pandemic, 

the locals in Galapagos are struggling to make ends 

meet – and they need your help. 

20 Coral reefs 

Not many people think of coral reefs when they think of 

Galapagos. The Archipelago, however, is home to some 

very interesting coral habitats, as Bernhard Riegl writes. 

21 Global relevance 

Ensuring that there is enough money to fund 

conservation projects has always been a challenge. 

Could private investment schemes be the answer? 

James Pilkington explains. 

22-23 Membership, Reviews, Events 

and Merchandise 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Jaime A. Chaves, was born in 

Ecuador and is Assistant Professor 

at the Department of Biology at San 

Francisco State University. Most of 

his work explores the evolution and 

adaption of species on the Galapagos 

Islands by using a combination of 

fieldwork, genetic techniques and 

bioinformatic analyses. 

Dr Bernhard Riegl is a professor at 

the Nova Southeastern University and 

associate director of the National Coral 

Reef Institute, USA. He is the editor of 

the book series Coral Reefs of the World 

and an associate editor at the journal 

Scientific Reports. 

James Pilkington is Conservation 

Enterprise and Impact Finance Specialist 

at Fauna and Flora International. He 

works with conservation organisations, 

governments and local communities 

around the world to develop 

businesses that protect species and 

landscapes. He can be contacted at 

james.pilkington@fauna-flora.org. 

2 GALAPAGOS MATTERS

FROM THE 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE 

by Sharon Johnson 

A 

s you can imagine, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to impact the Galapagos 

Islands both economically and environmentally. Thankfully the number of cases and 

deaths in the Archipelago have remained low, but the lives of the local Galapaguenians 

have been severely impacted. 

© Sharon Johnson 

Our research projects have been 

affected too, but your ongoing 

support has enabled our vital work to 

continue. Our Autumn 2020 appeal raised 

over £26,500 to protect the unique species 

of Galapagos so a huge thank you to 

everyone who donated – your unwavering 

support means that we have entered 2021 

in a stronger position that we originally 

hoped when the pandemic struck. 

With tourism stagnating throughout 

most of 2020 and with a 73% decline in 

visitors, many local residents have been 

struggling to find work. Thanks to your 

support, we are now supporting two key 

programmes that are providing income 

opportunities and training for locals whilst 

benefitting species and the environment 

– one focussing on DNA barcoding 

(p. 12) and an emergency ‘Cash for Work’ 

scheme in partnership with the United 

Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 

linked to our work to remove plastic waste 

from the Islands’ beaches (pp. 18-19). 

Of course, Galapagos is not the only 

place in the world to have suffered 

from the halt in tourism – it has been a 

model to fund conservation worldwide. 

As James Pilkington writes on page 21, 

it is essential that the conservation 

community finds alternative means to 

finance environmental projects. The next 

stage of our partnership with the UNDP 

aims to do this by providing training 

and funding to encourage sustainable 

businesses to build a resilient economy for 

the Islands. Initiatives like these, alongside 

our existing education and outreach work, 

are crucially important for protecting 

Galapagos’ wildlife. 

If there has been a silver lining to the 

pandemic, it is that researchers have had 

more time to publish scientific papers 

with some unable to undertake fieldwork. 

One such researcher is Jaime Chaves, 

whose work on evolution and adaptation 

of species in Galapagos is helping us 

to understand how best to conserve 

threatened species such as the Galapagos 

rail and Scalesia tree species (pp. 8-11). 

This is important for projects such as 

Restoring Floreana, where we ultimately 

aim to reintroduce locally extinct species 

such as the rail. 

While the global pandemic has held 

our attention for the last year, we must 

not lose sight of other issues affecting 

Galapagos. Its marine life is being 

affected by overfishing, pollution and 

climate change, which could affect vital 

ecosystem services. In the last issue of 

Galapagos Matters, we highlighted the 

threat of the huge international fleet, 

mostly Chinese, fishing on the boundaries 

of the Ecuadorian Exclusive Economic 

Zone. It is clear that an international 

approach is needed to protect the marine 

biodiversity not just within the Galapagos 

Marine Reserve but also outside it. I 

was encouraged by my meeting with 

Ecuadorian government ministers and 

Lord Goldsmith, UK Minister for Pacific 

and the Environment, during his ‘virtual 

tour’ of Galapagos in January 2021 (p. 14), 

that the two governments aim to work 

more closely together to protect Ecuador’s 

marine habitats (pp. 15-17). With the UN 

Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP15) 

occurring in China in October and the 

UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) 

the following month in the UK my spirits 

are lifted by the opportunities this could 

bring for our fight against overfishing and 

climate change this year. 

It was great to ‘see’ so many of you at 

our virtual Galapagos Day last October 

– almost 1000 people from 45 countries 

registered! Following its success, we are 

planning another online event later this 

spring. We hope, however, to return to the 

Royal Geographical Society in October for 

Galapagos Day. How wonderful it would 

be to see you in person so please sign up 

to our eNewsletter for updates (p. 23). 

Thank you once again for your ongoing 

support. We feel so fortunate to have so 

many loyal supporters helping Galapagos, 

its wildlife and its people through these 

difficult times. We hope to see as many of 

you as possible before the end of the year. 

Sharon Johnson 

Galapagos Matters is a copyright biannual publication produced for members of Galapagos Conservation Trust. 

The information in this issue was 

obtained from various sources, all 

ISSN 2050-6074 Galapagos 

Matters is printed on paper 

Designer: The Graphic Design House 

Printer: Bishops Printers 

of which have extensive knowledge made from well managed forests 020 7399 7440 

of Galapagos, but neither GCT nor and controlled sources. 

gct@gct.org 

the contributors are responsible Editor: Henry Nicholls 

www.galapagosconservation.org.uk 

for the accuracy of the contents or Chief Executive: Sharon Johnson 

the opinions expressed herein. Communications Manager: Clare Simm 


3

WILD 

GALAPAGOS 

Hidden Galapagos – there are lots of amazing flora and 

fauna in Galapagos, but the smaller species often get 

overlooked. This amazing image by Jennifer Linton is 

of a beautiful Galapagos blue butterfly, commonly seen 

across the Islands. It is endemic to the Archipelago, 

meaning it is found nowhere else on earth. 

We know that not many people will have travelled to 

Galapagos this year, but we’re still running our 2021 

Galapagos Photography Competition. Why not have 

a look at your photos and enter your favourites? 

Remember, if you’ve entered in previous years you 

can enter again with different photographs! 

Find out more on page 23. 

4 GALAPAGOS MATTERS

© Jennifer Linton 

SPRING | SUMMER 2021 5

GALAPAGOS 

NEWS 

LAND IGUANA 

REINTRODUCTION 

SUCCESS 

© Island Conservation 

Back in January 2019, GCT supported 

the reintroduction of 2,150 Galapagos 

land iguanas, listed as Vulnerable by the 

IUCN, onto Santiago island. A recent 

survey has found that the population is 

estimated to have doubled, and there are 

positive signs of ecological restoration. 

Until 2019, Galapagos land iguanas had 

not been recorded on Santiago island since 

Charles Darwin visited in 1835. He 

described the lowlands of Santiago as 

saturated with “infinite numbers of a large 

herbivorous lizard”. However, by the time 

the California Academy of Sciences 

visited in 1903, they found only skeletal 

remains. It is thought that they became 

locally extinct because of food competition 

and predation by species introduced by 

humans, such as feral pigs and goats, 

which have now been removed from 

the island. 

Besides helping the ongoing 

conservation of this endemic species, the 

reintroduction of land iguanas is also 

helping restore Santiago’s ecological 

health by promoting vegetation restoration 

on the island through seed dispersal. 

The land iguanas were moved from 

North Seymour island, where there were 

over 5,000 individuals – far too many for 

the island’s food supply to support. 

The captured iguanas were a mix of adults 

and juveniles, with 60% of them female and 

40% male to promote rapid growth in the 

new population. 

In August 2019, when the team returned 

to measure any changes in body mass since 

release, they found the iguanas had a 

9-12% increase in body weight, likely due 

to the increase in food availability 

compared to North Seymour. 

The most recent survey in December 

2020 estimated the population on 

Santiago was over 4,500 animals, 

highlighting the enormous success of 

this project and a thriving land iguana 

population helping to conserve this 

unique species for generations to come. 

6 GALAPAGOS MATTERS

COVID-19 IN GALAPAGOS 

Active cases of COVID-19 have been 

dropping in Galapagos with the latest 

figure, in February 2021, at 48 across Santa 

Cruz, San Cristobal and Isabela. A 

vaccination programme started in early 

February focussed on health workers 

and adults over 65-years-old. 

A WAYWARD BOOBY 

An unusual patient was admitted to 

the International Bird Rescue wildlife 

centre in Los Angeles, USA – a Nazca 

booby! It was found in California over 3,000 

miles from its home in Galapagos, the 

furthest ever recorded. The bird was 

banded as a nestling in the 2017-2018 

breeding season, making it almost threeyears-old. 

Sadly, as well as exhaustion, the 

bird was suffering from kidney problems 

and a poorly healed wing fracture. Despite 

the best efforts of staff at the rescue centre, 

it didn’t survive. Reports like this are 

invaluable for understanding where young 

roaming Nazca boobies travel before 

residing in a breeding colony when they 

reach the age of five. 

2020 was a good year for flightless cormorants 

© Kevin Blake 

RISE IN PENGUIN AND CORMORANT NUMBERS 

recent study by the Charles Darwin 

A Foundation and Galapagos National 

Park has found that the number of penguins 

and flightless cormorants on the Islands is 

increasing. The Galapagos penguin 

population increased from 1,451 in 2019 

to 1,940 in 2020, the highest it has been 

since 2006. 

Flightless cormorant numbers increased 

from 1,914 to 2,220 over the same period, 

reaching a record number according 

to historical data dating back to 1977. 

Scientists think this could be due to 

La Niña and the pause in tourism 

during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nazca booby 

© Jenny Howard 

RARE PENGUIN SPOTTED 

A 

rare white Galapagos penguin was 

found on the north of Isabela island by 

a local guide. The unique bird has a 

condition called leucism, similar to albinism, 

which means its plumage lacks colour due 

to the cells responsible for melanin 

production being absent. 

MARTI IN THE LIBRARY 

As part of our Connecting with Nature 

programme, GCT and the Galapagos 

Science Center donated 100 outreach packs 

to the public library in Puerto Ayora for 

“Marti en la Biblioteca”. Children from 

Santa Cruz joined a series of educational 

activities and readings of our children’s 

swimway storybook, inspiring them to 

develop stronger conservation and 

sustainability values. 

SECRETS UNCOVERED 

New research from the University of 

Southampton and our partner Alex 

Hearn has revealed the secret of Galapagos’ 

rich ecosystem. For decades, scientists have 

known that upwelling of cool, nutrient-rich 

waters are responsible for the abundance of 

phytoplankton at the bottom of the food 

chain, but no one knew what was behind 

this upwelling. 

Using an ocean circulation model, scientists 

have now shown that the intensity of 

upwelling in the Archipelago is driven by local 

northward winds, which generate vigorous 

turbulence in the ocean, bringing nutrients 

up to the surface from deeper waters. 

This knowledge will help to protect the 

Galapagos Marine Reserve against climate 

change. The full paper is available online: 

nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80609-2 

© Jimmy Patiño 

© Biblioteca Comunitaria para 

Galápagos y el Mundo 

GALAPAGOS SCIENTIST 

CHANGING THE WORLD 

Dr Inti Keith, a Senior Marine Biologist 

at the Charles Darwin Foundation, has 

been selected for the iconic Explorers Club 

EC 50 program, recognising fifty remarkable 

people who are changing the world. Dr 

Keith leads the Marine Invasive Species 

program, which is part-funded by GCT. 


7

OF RAILS 

AND DAISIES 

by Jaime Chaves 

I 

am wearing personal 

protective equipment 

from head to toe, like an outfit 

worn by a scientist working in a 

radioactive laboratory. But I’m not 

using PPE to protect myself so 

much as to protect the sample I 

am holding from contamination. 

The small plastic vial in my gloved 

hands contains a sample of tissue 

removed from the toe of a bird 

collected during the California 

Academy of Sciences expedition 

to Galapagos in 1905. 

The tiny fragment of dried skin belongs to 

one of the most elusive land birds in the 

Archipelago, the endemic Galapagos rail. 

The DNA it contains may help unravel the 

origins of this secretive rarity. 

During Charles Darwin’s visit to Galapagos 

in 1835, his first encounter with a rail was in 

the highlands of Floreana, observing that 

“this small Water Hen” appeared to be 

“confined to the damp region.” On 

Santiago, where he had more time to 

explore, he found these elusive birds 

“uttering loud & peculiar Crys” from the 

undergrowth. The captain of HMS Beagle, 

Robert Fitzroy, collected some specimens 

from Floreana, which ornithologist John 

Gould used to work up his formal scientific 

description of the species in 1841. Yet the 

rail’s secretive behaviour, living in some of 

the most inaccessible parts of the 

Archipelago, means that its evolutionary 

origins have remained shrouded in mystery. 

The DNA extracted from the clip of dry 

skin from the California Academy specimen 

Ornithologist John Gould’s illustration 

of the Galapagos rail collected by 

Captain Robert Fitzroy in 1835 

reveals that the ancestors of the Galapagos 

rail probably reached the Islands about 

1.2 million years ago, at the time when the 

Archipelago looked very different and Santa 

Cruz, San Cristobal, Española and Floreana 

were probably the only islands above water. 

In contrast to Darwin’s iconic finches, whose 

ancestors are thought to have colonised 

Galapagos at roughly the same time and 

8 GALAPAGOS MATTERS

Galapagos rail on Santiago island © Michael Dvorak 

“The Galapagos 

rails... appear to 

have remained 

as a single 

species.” 

The largest species in the Scalesia radiation, S. pedunculata © Jennifer Linton 


9

The illustration of the S. incisa specimen 

collected by Charles Darwin in 1835 

Scalesia incisa is endemic to San Cristobal and is listed as Vulnerable 

on the IUCN Red List © Hafdis Hanna Aegisdottiron 

subsequently evolved into more than a 

dozen different species, the Galapagos rails 

that came to occupy seven different islands 

appear to have remained as a single species. 

The reasons why this is the case are not fully 

understood, but one possibility is that the 

highland habitats on different islands are 

relatively similar and the selective pressures 

on the different rail populations are not 

too intense. 

Although the Galapagos rail is a species 

that is out of sight from most residents 

and visitors, human activity in the Islands 

has had an indirect impact on these birds. 

The ground-dwelling, largely flightless 

lifestyle of the rail means that rats and 

goats, introduced by humans in the 19th 

century, posed a significant challenge to 

rail populations. On many islands, goats 

stripped away the dense, moist vegetation 

and bracken associated with rail habitat, 

resulting in the extinction of these birds 

from Pinta in the 1970s and probably also 

Floreana in the 1980s, and causing rail 

numbers to plummet on other islands, 

like Santiago. Fortunately, the successful 

eradication of goats from several islands 

means that rail numbers have bounced back. 

DNA samples taken from the five surviving 

island populations, however, reveal that they 

are characterised by a low genetic diversity 

so could be vulnerable to inbreeding or 

disease. We are working on sampling more 

museum specimens, including the ones 

collected by Fitzroy in 1835, which will give 

us a better idea of the genetic diversity back 

then and therefore how much of this has 

been lost. 

Alongside our work on the Galapagos rail, 

we are using similar genetic techniques to 

get to the bottom of yet another puzzle 

linked to specimens collected by Darwin 

from Galapagos: the dramatic radiation of 

Galapagos rail on Santa Cruz © Michael Dvorak 

the Scalesia, the giant daisy trees that are 

the botanical equivalent of Darwin’s finches. 

Within the endemic Scalesia genus, these 

plants come in a wide range of shapes and 

sizes, from small bushes attached to arid 

cliffs to 20-metre-tall tree-like forms thriving 

in the wet highlands. But exactly when these 

species originated and how such diversity 

came about are questions that have been 

raised time and again. 

In an effort to come up with answers, my 

colleagues and I have used DNA from all 15 

Scalesia species known to science to 

reconstruct the evolutionary history of these 

plants. This so-called molecular phylogeny 

leads us to conclude that the ancestors of 

Scalesia first reached the Archipelago about 

three million years ago, but that most of the 

subsequent speciation occurred relatively 

recently, within the last one million years. In 

geological terms, this is a rapid radiation, 

with similar adaptations emerging repeatedly 

10 GALAPAGOS MATTERS

“Scalesia... are 

the botanical 

equivalent 

of Darwin’s 

finches.” 

on different islands. This process, known as 

‘convergent evolution’, suggests that similar 

ecological opportunities on different islands 

helped select for similar characteristics, such 

as shrub-like forms on the arid lowlands and 

tree-like forms in the dripping highlands. This 

is a little like being given a maths problem 

and finding several different solutions that all 

arrive at the same answer. We hope that this 

new Scalesia phylogeny will allow the 

exploration of unanswered questions – old 

and new – about the evolution of this 

remarkable genus. 

In these and countless other projects 

taking place around the world, genetics 

continue to advance our understanding of 

the evolution by natural selection as 

proposed by Darwin in On the Origin of 

Species. Genetic information is also useful 

for guiding us towards conservation 

measures that will improve the management 

of unique and rare species. Our rail research, 

for example, will identify which populations 

are more susceptible to extinction and 

individuals that could be used to reintroduce 

rails to Floreana. In the case of Scalesia, 

some species are threatened with extinction, 

with very few plants surviving in very remote 

areas. It is crucial that we find ways to 

maximise the genetic diversity that we still 

have, protecting these unique species that 

were brought to light for the first time by 

Darwin himself. 

You can read the full Galapagos rail 

research article here: 

www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/11/425 

and the Scalesia research article here: 

bit.ly/3pGXTB5 

RESTORING FLOREANA 

Scalesia trees on Floreana island © Jen Jones 

Floreana island used to be home to some of the most iconic 

species in the Archipelago such as the Galapagos giant 

tortoise and the Floreana mockingbird. Around 150 years ago, 

however, the first human settlers arrived on the island bringing 

with them invasive species such as rats and cats. Since then 

its magnificent wildlife has come under threat, with 12 species 

now locally extinct – including the Galapagos rail – and 55 

species under threat, including some Scalesia species such as 

the Vulnerable Scalesia villosa which is found only on this island 

and nearby islets. 

GCT is supporting Island Conservation, the Galapagos 

National Park and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in their 

efforts to restore Floreana back to its former ecological glory, 

by eradicating invasive mammals, which will benefit native 

flora and fauna. 

The long-term goal is to reintroduce extinct species such as the 

Galapagos rail. 

The eradication phase of the Floreana Restoration Project, 

involving baiting to remove rodents, was due to occur in 2021, but 

the COVID-19 outbreak suspended fieldwork in 2020. It was also 

necessary to divert some of the funding for the project to cover 

pandemic-related issues, so that the eradication event has had to 

be postponed until at least 2023. The revised timeframe should 

allow the team to deploy emerging drone technology to deliver 

bait more accurately and more cheaply than existing methods 

using helicopters. 

While delays like this are frustrating, they do allow us to take 

advantage of emerging research, such as that by Jaime Chaves 

and his colleagues, which allow us to better understand the 

species that we are protecting from extinction. 


11

PROJECT 

UPDATES 

BARCODING GALAPAGOS 

GCT HAS JOINED AN AMBITIOUS ‘CITIZEN SCIENCE’ PROJECT TO DOCUMENT ALL BIOLOGICAL 

LIFE IN GALAPAGOS 

E 

stimates suggest that the natural world contains about 8.7 million species. However, only 14% of 

these species have been identified, leaving a massive number still to find. Cataloguing them could 

take thousands of years but advances in technology, such as DNA barcoding, could speed this up. Limited 

knowledge of what species make up an ecosystem affects our ability to implement conservation efforts, 

especially in a place as unique as Galapagos. 

Barcoding Galapagos aims to address this knowledge gap, 

describing the genetic profile of all species found in the 

Archipelago, from Scalesia trees to blue-footed boobies, from 

microbes to giant tortoises. You may think that Galapagos is well 

researched; however, many groups of species remain unstudied, 

particularly coral reef fish and microorganisms that make up most 

of the Islands’ biodiversity. Although it sounds ambitious, experts 

believe ecosystem-level barcoding is feasible in Galapagos. The 

remote location and volcanic origins render its ecosystem relatively 

‘simple’, with around 9,000 multicellular species. Furthermore, 

having a Galapagos barcode library can then help scientists and 

conservationists measure the health of Galapagos environments 

or tell us which individuals are suitable for reintroductions or 

captive breeding programmes. It can also detect environmental 

threats by identifying new invasive species entering Galapagos or 

tracing illegally trafficked shark fins or animals sold as pets through 

black markets. 

WHAT IS DNA BARCODING? 

Every species has a unique set of genes that make 

them different from other species. Barcoding is a way of 

identifying different species based on a small section of 

their DNA rather than what they look like. Every species 

will have a unique barcode. 

Starting such an ambitious project during a global pandemic might 

seem surprising. However, this project will not only provide the 

scientific knowledge for the understanding and conservation of critical 

ecosystems in Galapagos, it will also serve to alleviate the hardship 

faced by local people whose income stopped almost overnight. 

Some 80% of the Galapagos economy is underpinned by income 

from tourism. The effects of COVID-19 have highlighted how 

vulnerable the local economy is to loss of tourism. Experts are 

concerned that economic pressures could lead to overexploitation of 

natural resources, in turn damaging the very biodiversity that tourism 

relies upon. Inevitably, there will be multiple approaches to alleviating 

the current pressures in Galapagos. This project will initially involve 

training and employing hard-hit workers in the ecotourism sector, 

primarily naturalist guides, fishers and farmers, to undertake the DNA 

sampling and laboratory work needed for the project. 

The project was launched towards the end of 2020 and to date 

over 70 local people have finished the first round of training in 

genetics. The first task for the new recruits is to work out how 

many species have already had their genes sequenced and then 

to prioritise those that haven’t. 

The project is led by the University of Exeter (UK), the 

Galapagos Science Center and the University of San Francisco 

de Quito (Ecuador) (USFQ) alongside support from Galapagos 

Conservation Trust and the Biosecurity Agency of Galapagos. 

The project has received funding from UK Research and 

Innovation (UKRI) through the Global Challenges Research 

Fund and the Newton Fund. 


SEARCHING 

FOR GIANTS 

AN UPDATE FROM THE FIELD AS TORTOISE 

RESEARCHERS VISIT ALCEDO VOLCANO, ISABELA 

In collaboration with the Galapagos National Park and with 

support from Galapagos Conservation Trust, the Galapagos Tortoise 

Movement Ecology Programme (GTMEP) team carried out a weeklong 

expedition to Isabela island in December 2020 to continue their 

vital work in tracking and protecting Galapagos giants. While in the 

field, the team downloaded the tortoises’ movement data, collected 

samples such as blood and oral swabs and took measurements such as 

size, mass and tail length, to assess the health status of tortoises from 

Alcedo volcano (species Chelonoidis vandenburghii). 

The team, consisting of GTMEP researchers and a Galapagos 

National Park ranger, used radio telemetry to locate eight giant 

tortoises tagged with GPS devices. Each tortoise is known by name 

and were found in various locations in and around Alcedo. Christian, 

Janeene, Isabela and Greg were on the top; Sparkey, Franz, and Spikey 

were located on the external slopes. The last one, Anne, was located 

inside Alcedo’s crater. The team was especially pleased to have found 

Spikey, as she had not been spotted since 2016, so her movement data 

had not been downloaded for almost five years. Spikey was located 

on the southern slope of the volcano, and upon finding her, the team 

replaced her old GPS with a new, more modern solar-powered device. 

Giant tortoises have diverse migratory behaviour. During the 

warm-wet season (January to June) some individuals, like Spikey, go 

down towards the outer slopes and others, like Greg and Anne, go 

GCT JOINS FORCES WITH PARTNERS TO TACKLE 

PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE EASTERN TROPICS 

Around 60% of plastic pollution in Galapagos is thought to come from 

mainland South America 

The problems of plastic waste in Galapagos cannot be solved 

by those working in the Archipelago alone - the challenge 

requires effort at a regional scale. Nearly 60% of the plastic found 

on Galapagos beaches is thought to come from Ecuador and Peru's 

coastlines. A multifaceted approach is needed to build a deep 

understanding of the many factors contributing to the problem, its 

impacts and how it can be solved for the whole region. 

To this effect, a four-year programme - ‘Reducing the impacts of 

plastic waste in the Eastern Pacific Ocean’ – has received a £3.3 million 

grant from UK Research and Innovation's Global Challenges Research 

Fund (GCRF). GCT is leading the programme alongside the University 

of Exeter, and the project team contains researchers from seven 

universities from Ecuador, Peru, Chile and the UK, and an extensive 

network of collaborators across multiple sectors and all stages of the 

flow of plastics. Researchers will work with governments, businesses, 

charities, local scientists and communities to ‘co-design’ effective, 

long-lasting ways to cut plastic pollution. 

Tortoises on the slopes of Alcedo volcano © GTMEP 

down inside the crater. They are all going to nesting areas at lower 

elevations although, similar to land iguanas, as seen on the BBC’s 

Perfect Planet, we are not yet sure why some individuals choose to nest 

inside the crater rather than outside. During the cool-dry season 

(July – December), they all head uphill, towards the top of the volcano 

where the garúa (mist) typical of this season provides an abundance 

of precious water and hence vegetation. 

In 2021, the GTMEP team will continue to undertake field studies, in 

line with COVID-19 restrictions, to continue their vital research. They 

will monitor tortoise health and the interactions between tortoises and 

local infrastructures such as farmland and fences. With the data the 

team has collected over the last ten years of the project, they will 

focus their attention on ensuring the conservation of these 

ecosystem engineers. 

The Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme is a multiinstitutional 

collaboration between the Charles Darwin Foundation, 

the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, the Galapagos National 

Park, Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine, the 

Houston Zoo and Galapagos Conservation Trust. 

Jen Jones, our Head of Programmes and PhD researcher at the 

University of Exeter, said this about the regional programme. "We 

want to create solutions that benefit everyone – from poorer coastal 

communities to people in huge cities like Lima – and are also good 

for wildlife and wider ecosystems. Workshops with local people are a 

key part of our approach, and many of our best ideas have come from 

schoolchildren who are concerned about plastic pollution." 

Jen said the project aims to create ‘self-sustaining’ solutions that 

benefit people and keep plastic out of the oceans through a circular 

economy approach. She added: "We hope our approach – identifying 

the issues and possible solutions with local involvement at every stage 

– can provide a 'toolkit' that could be used to tackle plastic pollution 

elsewhere in the world." 

We will lead on the Galapagos element of this regional project 

through the continuation of our Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos 

programme, launched in 2018. We have secured over 80% of 

the funding needed over the next four years, with over £680K of 

the GCRF grant and a further £730K raised from private donors 

and corporate partnerships. With such significant funding in 

place, we can now focus on delivery. Our key objectives for the 

next four years are to: 

• map the sources and sinks of plastic waste in the Galapagos 

Marine Reserve through oceanographic models and garbology 

methodologies as well as monitor international fisheries activity 

through radar harvesting 

• develop a prioritisation tool to assess the species most impacted 

by marine plastic 

• explore circular economy strategies within the region, 

including Galapagos 

• build capacity in the Galapagos National Park (GNP) to monitor 

coastal plastic pollution and support GNP clean-ups 

• trial, test and scale-up plastic solutions with the community, schools 

and tourism sectors as well as add value to cleaned plastics 

• develop and roll out an integrated awareness campaign 

through educational products and community outreach 

Watch our plastic pollution-free Galapagos video online at: 

youtube.com/watch?v=qDNXwyBGUbs 


13

UK 

NEWS 

UK GOVERNMENT ‘VIRTUAL TOUR’ OF GALAPAGOS 

On 26 and 27 January 2021, the Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith, 

Minister for Pacific and the Environment, went on a virtual ‘tour’ 

of the Galapagos Islands with the British Embassy Quito. As well as 

meeting various Ecuadorian officials, Lord Goldsmith learned about 

the work of Galapagos Conservation Trust through videos produced 

specifically for the tour, and a meeting with our Chief Executive, 

Sharon Johnson. Sharon took the opportunity to celebrate the 

commitment that Ecuador and the UK have taken to conserving our 

oceans, but also to encourage the UK to do more to support the 

protection of the waters around the Galapagos Islands. 

GCT Chief Executive Sharon Johnson meeting Lord Goldsmith 

and Ecuadorian ministers as part of the ‘virtual tour’ 

LOCKDOWN WEBINARS 

During the first lockdown in 2020, one of the first people to 

try his hand at holding online events was GCT’s President and 

TV presenter, Monty Halls. In a weekly series of webinars, Monty 

took us on ‘journeys’ around the world, including several ‘trips’ to 

Galapagos. In just one webinar, Monty helped raise over £1,000 for 

GCT from the audience. He then went on to hold other Galapagos 

webinars, introducing lots more supporters to our work, and 

raising further funds – so a huge thanks to Monty and everyone 

that supported us! 

DISCOVERING 

GALAPAGOS 

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing issues 

facing marine wildlife around the world. To raise 

awareness of this issue, we have developed a free sixpart 

activity session for teachers, parents and carers to 

do with their children and students. The downloadable 

pack will take you on a journey through our oceans 

and teach you how to make them a safer, happier 

place for marine life. It explores the life of plastics, 

how they are a part of our lives and how making a few 

changes will enable you and your family to live in a 

more sustainable and environmentally friendly way. 

galapagosconservation.org.uk/a-guide-to-exploringocean-plastics 

We’re also excited to announce the launch of our 

Discovering Galapagos Citizen Science Portal where you 

can get involved in our vital marine conservation work. 

Use your detective skills to help tackle plastic pollution, 

count sharks while in Galapagos or spot marine iguanas 

using drone images. Through involvement in these 

projects, your contribution will directly support the 

conservation of Galapagos and its unique wildlife. 

citsci.discoveringgalapagos.org.uk 

And finally, the Teachers Zone on our Discovering 

Galapagos platform has been revamped. The Teachers 

Zone is a collection of UK curriculum-linked resources 

covering Science, Geography and History, developed 

by GCT to help you bring Galapagos to life in your 

classroom. Or straight into your home if you are homeschooling. 

Head to tz.discoveringgalapagos.org.uk 

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY – 

THANK YOU! 

Thank you to everyone who took part in our Digital 

Communications Survey. It was clear from the responses 

that people prefer to read a paper copy of the magazine (75% 

of responses). However, it was great to see that many of you 

are happy to receive other communications via email (58%). 

This will allow us to reduce costs, as well as provide you with 

more varied content. 

If you would like to change how you receive the magazine, 

or other communications, from us, you can update your 

preferences here: galapagosconservation.org.uk/contactpreference-form 


LEADERSHIP ON 

THE HIGH SEAS 

SINK OR SWIM? 

By Sharon Johnson 

At least 250,000 sharks are legally landed as 

'by-catch' in Ecuador each year © Tracey Jennings 

I 

n July 2020, the news of 

international fishing vessels 

anchored along the edge of the 

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

around the Galapagos Islands 

hit the headlines. 

Ecuador’s efforts to protect Galapagos and 

its marine biodiversity would have a much 

greater chance of success if there was real 

and effective support from the international 

community. It is time to step up our game. 

The threat that international fishing poses 

to both marine biodiversity and international 

relations is not new. From 1963 to 1975, the 

United States and Ecuador were embroiled 

in the so-called ‘tuna war’. The conflict began 

when Ecuador seized and fined a US fishing 

vessel that failed to recognize the region up 

to 200 miles off the coast over which Ecuador 

felt it had sovereign rights. The tensions 

abated in 1975, with the creation of a Pacific 

‘regional association’ that acknowledged 

each country’s sovereign right to resource 

conservation in this offshore zone, an 

‘exclusive economic zone’ (EEZ) that most 

countries around the world eventually signed 

up to in 1982 as part of the United Nations 

Convention on the Law of the Sea. 

These fleets, comprised largely of 

Chinese fishing vessels, come every 

year and have been doing so for decades, 

but the scale of last year’s operation was 

unprecedented. There were around 300 

vessels, some kitted out for fishing, others 

acting as refrigerated containers and still 

more serving as refuelling stations. This 

floating, self-sufficient city-at-sea was just 

one of many fleets harvesting the marine 

resources in these rich waters, for much 

prized squid and tuna but which also end 

up ensnaring endangered sharks and other 

threatened species in the process. 

Concerned over the loss of biodiversity 

and food security, in July 2020 Ecuadorian 

President Lenín Moreno appointed a 

Commission to design a strategy for the 

protection of Galapagos and its marine 

resources. Its remit – to review the marine 

management of Galapagos – is urgent. But 

Satellite image of the international fishing 

fleet in June 2020 © Global Fishing Watch 


15

LEADERSHIP ON THE HIGH SEAS: SINK OR SWIM? 

ETP seascape includes international and national waters 

belonging to Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama. Dashed 

black lines indicate the EEZ’s for each country © MigraMar 

China has the world’s largest 

distant-water fishing (DWF) fleet, 

with a recent report putting the 

figure at almost 17,000 vessels, 

some 5-8 times larger than previous 

estimates. In 2016, China’s DWF 

fleet captured around two million 

tonnes of fish, around one-quarter 

of the global DWF catch. Almost 

1000 of these vessels are registered 

in other countries, ‘flags of 

convenience’ that can be a way to 

circumvent regulations. At least 

183 vessels in China’s DWF fleet 

are suspected of involvement in 

IUU fishing. 

Yet this was not enough. In 1998, mounting 

concerns about decreasing fish populations 

and the impacts of long-line fishing, Ecuador 

created the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) 

to protect an ocean area of 133,000 km 2 , at the 

time the second largest marine protected area 

in the world. The creation of the GMR created 

a ‘spillover’ effect into the EEZ, which benefit 

industrial-scale fisheries today. 

However, we have yet to factor in another 

looming threat – climate change. It may be 

surprising to learn that the greatest impact of 

climate change is not likely to come from the 

warming waters around Galapagos impacting 

marine life directly, but as waters warm faster 

in other areas, fish populations elsewhere are 

likely to collapse more rapidly, attracting even 

more intense fishing activity surrounding the 

relative sanctuary the GMR. 

The Ecuadorian Navy, of course, monitors the 

annual muster to prevent vessels straying into 

either Ecuador’s EEZ or the protected waters 

of the GMR. But is a small Ecuadorian navy a 

match for a global giant like China? Much was 

made of the fact that the Chinese government 

agreed to implement a moratorium on some 

of its fishing activities in the Pacific for a few 

months in autumn 2020. However, their fishing 

activities are limited in those months in any 

case, so it is increasingly clear that existing 

protection measures are simply not sufficient 

to protect this irreplaceable biodiversity, 

including the catastrophic number of 

endangered sharks caught as by-catch. 

Although catching sharks deliberately is 

illegal, if caught as by-catch and landed, it is 

then legal to keep and sell them. One study 

found that 85% of shark fins for sale in China 

and Hong Kong originated from the Eastern 

Pacific – including Ecuador. There has been 

a dramatic increase in the use of artificial 

floating objects to attract fish in recent years 

too. These so-called fish aggregating devices 

(FADs) released outside the GMR will often 

drift into it and are notorious for hooking 

sharks. It is thought that over 250,000 sharks 

are caught as by-catch in these waters each 

year, although this figure is likely to be a 

gross underestimate. 

Of course, the impact of industrial-scale 

fishing is not limited to sharks. The intensity of 

this extraction threatens many other species. A 

routine census shows that since the creation of 

the GMR over 20 years ago, the populations of 

13 out of 28 marine species that are surveyed 

have all declined, with the conservation status 

of just one species – the olive ridley turtle – 

showing an improvement. The pressure on the 

GMR has also had knock-on consequences 

for the livelihoods of artisanal fisheries in 

Galapagos, not to mention the alarming mass 

of plastic from FADs and other waste from 

these floating cities that washes up on the 

Islands’ beaches. 

Amongst many other measures, Ecuador’s 

new Commission is considering the creation 

of a new a marine protected area between 

Galapagos and Cocos island in Costa Rica. 

But such proposals are fraught with local 

and national tensions between conservation 

groups, government agencies, and fishers. 

The Galapagos population and the number 

of registered fishers has continued to 

increase since 1998, yet there has been no 

commensurate increase in the access to new 

fisheries. The COVID-19 crisis has only made 

matters worse and there is strong opposition 

to the expansion of Ecuador’s MPAs. Longlining 

experiments are also taking place in 

the GMR, and the government is beginning 

to stall on the implementation of the 

Commission’s recommendations. 

Whilst Ecuador attempts to find solutions 

that satisfy political, economic and 

environmental concerns, the international 

community must work harder and faster to 

offer its support. In 2017, the UN General 

Assembly began a process to negotiate 

a new, international and legally binding 

treaty for the conservation and sustainable 

development of marine biodiversity in areas 

beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). The fourth 

and final negotiating session had been due 

to take place last year but was postponed by 

the pandemic. Sticking points remain, yet it is 

vital that when the participants reconvene, as 

is expected in August this year, that the draft 

treaty is not watered down. Ratification of an 

ambitious and robust High Seas Biodiversity 

Treaty is long overdue and a vital legislative 

step if we are really serious about the 

protection of marine biodiversity in places like 

Galapagos. This could be a massive help to 

Ecuador in strengthening its hand. But will this 

address the threat of illegal, unreported and 

unregulated (IUU) fishing? Are international 

tensions likely to increase? 

Ecuadorian conservationist Yolanda 

Kakabadse, and former president of both 

IUCN and WWF, who was appointed by the 

President of Ecuador to the Commission, 

believes international tensions may 

increase, but above all she feels “China 

cares about its reputation and there is 

opportunity for dialogue, particularly on 

the international stage”. 

China is due to host the fifteenth meeting 

of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) 

to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 

October. Delegates will agree on a post-2020 

global biodiversity framework, with one of 

its key targets to ensure that the harvesting, 

trade and use of wild species will be legal 

and at sustainable levels by 2030. The COP15 

platform presents a big opportunity for China 

to take the lead on the environment in general 

and marine protection in particular, to repeat 

the commitments it made last year regarding 

its distant-water fishing fleet in the Pacific, act 

on them and go still further. 

Ecuador has often led the way in changing 

the way the world sees the natural world. 


The impact of industrial fishing could be devastating for the environmental 

and economic security of Galapagos © Jonathan Green 

In spite of its small size, Ecuador is a biodiversity hotspot, estimated 

to be home to an astonishing 10% of all species on Earth. In 1978, 

Galapagos became the world’s first ever UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

When Ecuador created the Galapagos Marine Reserve in 1998, it was 

one of the largest MPAs in the world, second-only to Australia’s Great 

Barrier Reef. In 2008, Ecuador became the first country to recognise 

rights for nature in its constitution. It is certainly in Ecuador’s interests 

to avoid a repeat of the 20th-century tuna wars with the US, this time 

with China. It is in all our interests to help them achieve this: for the 

protection of Galapagos, for the emergence of truly sustainable 

fisheries and for treating the natural world with the respect it deserves 

and so desperately needs. 

For several years, GCT has been supporting scientists as 

they collect evidence to support improvements in marine 

protection around Galapagos. One of the key proposals is 

the creation of the Galapagos-Cocos Swimway, a protected 

area of some 120,000 km 2 between Galapagos and Cocos 

island just off the coast of Costa Rica. It is clear that the 

ability to migrate between these two World Heritage Sites is 

important to the biology of at least five endangered species 

– whale sharks, leatherback turtles, green turtles, silky sharks 

and scalloped hammerhead sharks. 

Without intervention, the impact of industrial fishing is likely 

to have serious consequences for the environmental and 

economic security of Galapagos. GCT is working to support: 

• Increased dialogue at a provincial and national level 

between all stakeholders, including all elements of the 

fishing industry, to find solutions that allow sustainable 

livelihoods to coexist with, and indeed be enhanced by, 

conservation action. 

• Adoption of more sustainable fishing practices within the 

GMR as an alternative to the ‘experimental’ longlining 

currently taking place. 

• Support for local and national livelihoods by improving 

international market access for ‘responsible’ catch. 

• Adoption of the new proposal for a strengthened 

and expanded Galapagos Marine Reserve and for 

the designation of the critically important 

Galapagos-Cocos Swimway. 

• Increased awareness beyond Ecuador of the impacts of 

industrial fishing around Galapagos. 

• Reduction in the plastic and other pollution generated 

by national and international fishing fleets. 


17

Galapagos is eerily quiet © Ramón Martinez 

PROTECTING 

LIVELIHOODS 

IN GALAPAGOS 

by Clare Simm 

I 

f you’ve travelled to 

Galapagos, you will have 

most likely been to Puerto Ayora, 

the main town on Santa Cruz. It 

would have been bustling with 

tourists, with restaurants full and 

taxi boats zipping around the 

harbour. If you visited today, 

however, it would be eerily quiet 

with many businesses closed 

and dozens of boats waiting for 

someone to come along so that 

they can earn a few dollars. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 

tourism industry in the Galapagos Islands 

employed more than 80% of its population. 

In 2019, around 270,000 tourists visited the 

Islands. In 2020, only 72,519 people visited, 

a 73% decline. According to the Provincial 

Local Chamber of Tourism, the Archipelago 

lost $200 million between March and May 

2020 alone. 

And it isn’t just the obvious jobs that have 

gone – like the guides and the local boat 

operators. Grocery shops are struggling too – 

some have gone from earning an average of 

$150-200 per day in 2019, to around $120 in 

a full week. Some locals who no longer have 

any work are setting up ‘tienditas’ outside 

their houses to sell anything they can think 

of to make a living. 

Around the world, sustainable tourism 

initiatives have been developed as a tool 

against poverty. However, the pandemic 

has shown that there is a major flaw in this. 

Around 8% of Galapaguenian families on the 

Islands were already living below the poverty 

line. Now many more are struggling to put 

food on the table. 

This loss of jobs and income has increased 

the pressure on the Islands’ natural 

resources and, in turn, could damage the 

very biodiversity that tourism relies on. One 

example of this is the relaxation of fishing 

restrictions in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, 

with previously banned, and detrimental, 

long-lines allowed on a ‘trial basis’ to allow 

fishers to increase their catches. 

While tourists are slowly returning to the 

Islands, especially from mainland Ecuador, 

numbers are still a long way from what 

the locals need to make ends meet. GCT 

wants to use the lessons learned in 2020 to 

support initiatives that will allow locals to 

become more self-sufficient, provide more 

employment on the Islands, and offer training 

opportunities outside of the tourism industry. 


APPEAL 

“We need 

to help the 

people in 

Galapagos too” 

We need to help the people in Galapagos so, 

should another global disaster occur, they can 

continue to live and work in a sustainable way 

– but we need your help to do so. 

Since summer 2020, we have been 

supporting an Urban Family Gardening 

project which is enabling families in 

Galapagos to grow their own food – whether 

they have a garden or just a small patio – 

which is helping to mitigate some of the 

severe financial hardship that the community 

is facing. The project also provides endemic 

plants to help connect the families with their 

environment, as well as increase native flora 

and pollination. 

We also joined forces with the United 

Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 

December 2020 to support a ‘Cash for Work’ 

initiative which provides emergency income 

for around 100 people to collect plastic 

pollution from beaches on Santa Cruz, San 

Cristobal and Isabela. As well as providing 

money, the sessions trained local inhabitants 

in monitoring techniques both for macro- and 

microplastics. With further funding the next 

stage will be to provide a two-month training 

programme including tools and guidance to 

improve existing sustainable businesses to 

withstand the current situation and to grow 

in the future. Eventually, there will support 

for projects that contribute to building a 

resilient and sustainable economy for the 

Galapagos Islands. 

Empty main street in San Cristobal © Manuel Yepez 

Led by the Galapagos Science Center and 

the University of Exeter, another project we 

are supporting is Barcoding Galapagos. 

This project will build capacity in local 

communities to improve livelihoods and 

reduce the temptation for local inhabitants 

to negatively exploit natural resources to 

survive. So far, the project has employed 

over 70 people and is training them in 

the latest DNA sequencing techniques to 

catalogue the biodiversity of Galapagos 

with the aim of documenting the genetic 

profile of all Galapagos species from sea 

lions to bacteria. The results from this project 

will have wide-ranging applications in 

conservation worldwide including detecting 

the entry and spread of invasive species and 

supporting captive breeding programmes 

(see more on page 12). 

Alongside initiatives like these, it is 

important that we continue our education 

and outreach activities in order to ensure 

that the young people in Galapagos become 

more connected to their environment. By 

doing so, we hope to encourage them, and 

their families, to protect the Islands and their 

wildlife, and ensure that they remain a place 

of wonder for when tourism does resume 

around the world. 

The Bones Suntaxi family taking 

part in the Urban Family Gardening 

Project © Ashleigh Klingman 

Some of the UNDP ‘Cash for 

Work’ participants © GCT 

PLEASE HELP US PROTECT GALAPAGOS 

We need to ensure that projects 

like these can continue in order to 

support those Galapaguenians in need, and 

to protect the precious natural resources of 

the Islands. 

Just £30 could pay a local graduate to support our outreach activities for a day. 

Please donate whatever you can today by using the form on the back page, 

visiting galapagosconservation.org.uk/donate or calling us on 020 7399 7440. 

GCT is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. 


19

People don’t often equate Galapagos with coral reefs © Jonathan Green 

DEVIL’S 

CROWN 

by Bernhard Riegl 

D 

espite their location at the equator, the Galapagos Islands 

do not easily fit the popular perception of a tropical island 

paradise. In fact, all who have visited can attest to them as rather 

harsh: rocky, arid, always undecided whether to punish visitors and 

residents with unusual heat or cold. 

For reef corals, most comfortable as 

denizens of warm, tropical climes, the 

extreme and fluctuating conditions in 

the Galapagos waters pose a significant 

existential challenge. However, difficult 

environments do not preclude 

interesting biology. 

Of all the coral habitats in the Eastern 

Pacific, Corona del Diablo or the ‘Devil’s 

Crown’ in Galapagos is certainly one of the 

most interesting. The island itself, which 

lies about 1km north of Floreana, is all that 

remains of an eroded cinder cone, but the 

atoll-like ring provides the perfect protection 

for an explosion of coral forms, including 

many branching Pocillopora and brainlike 

boulder corals. Even more surprising, 

however, are dense assemblages of solitary 

corals on the sandy, barren sea floor just 

beyond the island’s perimeter, with some of 

the species not recorded at any other site 

in Galapagos. 

Careful exploration of Devil’s Crown over 

several decades reveals just how this coral 

community has changed through time. With 

these corals having deposited almost 2m of 

limestone on top of the underlying volcanic 

basalt and with the use of radiocarbon 

dating, we estimate that corals have been 

present in this spot for 7700 years. 

This makes the Devil’s Crown corals one 

of the oldest assemblages in Galapagos. 

The only coral structures that sit on deeper 

deposits are found around Darwin and Wolf 

in the north of the Archipelago, but even 

they appear to have become established 

after those at Devil’s Crown. 

There is still much to learn about how 

and why these corals have been doing 

so well in such a difficult habitat and 

what the long persistence of this totally 

isolated outpost population means for the 

persistence and evolution of these rare 

and beautiful species. 

Just beyond the perimeter of Devil’s Crown, the sea floor is covered by a huge assemblage 

of Cycloseris distorta. This species of solitary disc coral is not known to occur at any other site 

in Galapagos © Bernhard Riegl 


GLOBAL RELEVANCE 

While tourism will always be important in Galapagos, it is 

important to diversify income sources © David Ridge 

FINANCING 

CONSERVATION 

POST-COVID 

by James Pilkington 

T 

he Worldwide Fund for Nature and Credit Suisse estimate that 

around US$300-400 billion is required to protect our planet’s 

species and ecosystems every year, but that the annual funding from 

government and donations is just US$52 billion. We have a clear 

choice: we can either let 83% of our biodiversity disappear or turn 

towards the private sector to make up the shortfall. 

The past decade has seen a major 

increase in private finance for 

conservation. These funds are used to 

establish either ‘investable’ projects that 

deliver conservation outcomes or businesses 

that generate income or incentives that 

support conservation objectives. Ecotourism 

has been the go-to product for most NGOs 

and it has paid off. For example, the Masai 

Mara National Reserve in Kenya now attracts 

almost 300,000 high-paying visitors a year, 

with nearly US$5 million in payments made to 

local communities in 2019. 

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has 

had a major impact on all forms of tourism 

and many businesses and communities 

dependent on visitors have suffered. The 

latest figures from the UN World Tourism 

Organisation suggest that international 

tourism arrivals in 2020 were down by more 

than 70% globally compared to 2019, back to 

levels last seen some 30 years ago. The airline 

industry predicts that international travel will 

not recover fully until 2023 at the earliest. 

This has had a profound knock-on 

effect upon the income of conservation 

organisations. Gorilla tourism in Uganda and 

Rwanda has ceased completely due to the 

risk of disease transmission, and staff there 

have been laid off. Ol Pejeta Conservancy 

in Kenya has reported daily tourism income 

in the hundreds of dollars, when it is usually 

in the thousands. Staff there have taken a 

30% cut in income and there have been 

mass redundancies. There have also been 

reports of an increase in wildlife poaching 

for bushmeat as local incomes from tourism 

are lost. 

While the tourism industry is expected to 

recover, the pandemic has taught us that 

relying on any one sector is a mistake, and 

that we need to focus on resilience. At Fauna 

& Flora International (FFI), we aim to develop 

a small portfolio of enterprise for each of 

our strategic landscapes. In the tropics, 

for instance, this portfolio is likely to span 

ecotourism ventures, but also agricultural 

commodities like cocoa as well as forest 

carbon. This diversity that allows us to use 

business to deliver a wider range of goals and 

achieve a greater community participation. 

Even on remote islands like Galapagos, 

there are opportunities for private finance to 

build resilience by diversifying investments 

away from ecotourism. Just before the 

pandemic hit, Ecuador’s Ministry of the 

Environment announced an ambitious 

project to encourage private investment in 

renewable energy generation and climatesmart 

practices in agriculture, livestock and 

other initiatives. This conservation trust fund 

remains to be capitalised by international 

donors, but this is an approach has been 

proven elsewhere. 

The concept of the ‘Blue Economy’ has 

also increased in popularity, and there 

are now investment funds targeted at this 

market, such as Althelia’s Sustainable Ocean 

Fund. Investors in marine conservation are 

interested in carbon credits from mangrove 

and seagrass protection and restoration, 

sustainable fisheries and aquaculture 

production, all of which are relevant to 

Galapagos. Blue Economy investors are 

also interested in less obvious areas, like 

businesses that reduce ocean discharge, 

manage ship bilges, town sewerage and 

other land-based activities that affect 

the ocean. 

Finally, we are also witnessing a 

transformation in tourism due to the 

pandemic, with an increase in the importance 

placed on private travel and accommodation, 

as well as increased desire for ethical travel 

and authentic learning experiences. Places 

like Galapagos need to change their tourism 

products to adapt to these trends. Tourism 

is projected to bounce back, and now is a 

good time to get ready for this. 

COVID-19 has not chased away the 

investors in conservation. The money is still 

on the table, and the business models and 

product demand are there. It does involve, 

however, doing things differently, and 

requires a different skillset and mindset to 

traditional project-based conservation. But 

for those individuals and organisations willing 

to adapt and innovate, taking an investment 

and enterprise approach to conservation may 

deliver objectives in a way that conventional 

projects cannot. 


21

Galapagos sea lions 

© Simon Pierce 

SUPPORTER PAGE 

2020 was an unusual year but you continued to give us overwhelming support, which meant all our 

projects continued to be funded. Thank you. 2020 was also GCT’s 25th anniversary. We contacted a few 

people who have supported us from the very beginning and asked about their experiences of Galapagos. 

Little vermilion flycatcher 

© Rob Jansen 

Michael Curry, long-term GCT 

supporter. “In 1960 it took three days 

at sea on the Cristóbal Carrier from 

Guayaquil to the first port-of-call, Wreck 

Bay. The ship had a few small cabins, 

but many people travelled on deck. I 

shared a cabin with Raymond Lévêque 

who was setting up the Charles Darwin 

Research Station. The ship also carried 

a cow, which was slaughtered as we 

lay at anchor off Isabela, hungry sharks 

surrounding the boat. Thereafter we had 

steak every day as we sailed from island 

to island. The other main source of food 

was a large bunch of bananas hanging 

at the stern from which passengers took 

fruit as desired.” 

Julian Fitter, GCT’s Inaugural Chair. “In 

1964 when I arrived on the Brigantine 

Beagle, a converted Cornish fishing 

boat, the only permanent electricity 

in Puerto Ayora was at the Charles 

Darwin Research Station. I subsequently 

spent 15 years in the Islands. One of 

my earliest memories was taking part 

in the very first goat culling operation 

on Santa Fe in 1964. In 1995, Jennifer 

Stone and I put together GCT’s first 

board of Trustees and were helped by 

the Latsis family, who provided an office. 

We launched later that year at the Royal 

Society hosted by Richard Keynes, great 

grandson of Charles Darwin. Jenn and I 

are now GCT ambassadors.” 

Gillian Green, Ex-Trustee and member 

for over 24yrs. “In 1989, during my 

first visit, the Islands were sleepier and 

controls less strict. We climbed the 

Alcedo Volcano on Isabela, camping 

near the top. Giant tortoises roamed 

misty craters, but tree cover was 

limited. Today vegetation has recovered 

after goats were removed. I’m proud 

that GCT has continued supporting 

work on invasive species (e.g. the 

Philornis fly). Biosecurity has improved, 

but more locals and tourists means 

greater environmental pressures.” 

“In 1992, our boat was 

captained by Rolf Wittmer, 

the son of Margaret Wittmer, 

one of Floreana’s first settlers 

and a fascinating lady. We 

were lucky enough to have 

dinner with her at her house 

near Post Office Bay. 

“ 

Alan Chapman, supporter 

since 1995 and volunteer. 

Richard Robinson: ex-GCT Chair and 

supporter since 1996. When I visited 

Galapagos in 1989, we were excited 

about the endemic birds and saw two 

female vermilion flycatchers – not our 

highlight as we thought we had seen 

them on the Ecuadorian mainland. Many 

years later I discovered the San Cristobal 

vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocehalus dubius) 

was a distinct endemic species, only 

described in 2016 when they were sadly 

already extinct. I could be excited to 

have seen it but feel mostly sad. It is 

all the more important to save the little 

vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus 

nanus), which is now rare and is hanging 

on in Santa Cruz and Isabela, threatened 

by introduced species and habitat loss. 

Akemi Yokoyama, GCT member since 

1995 and volunteer: During my stunning 

trip in 1995, we watched a sealion having 

an agonisingly difficult birth. When the 

baby was finally born it wasn’t moving 

and I still remember her (the mother’s) 

screams. Maybe because she started 

flapping the baby so hard it miraculously 

came alive. Everyone started crying! 

The trip opened my eyes and taught me 

how important it is to protect a place 

like Galapagos – I have supported GCT 

ever since. 

To see the full interviews visit 

galapagosconservation.org.uk/ 

tag/25th-anniversary. 

“The San Cristobal vermilion 

flycatcher – a lesson for us all. 

The Floreana mockingbird – an 

inspiration for us all.” 

Richard Robinson 

A large group of you have loyally supported us over many years and it is a shame we haven’t room to tell 

more of your stories. It is thanks to everyone’s support over the last 25 years, that GCT has grown our funding 

to address the Islands’ increasing conservation needs. Our efforts together will continue in order to protect 

the wildlife of Galapagos which we all so love. 


EVENTS 

While the outlook is brighter than last year, the uncertainty of day-to-day 

activities continues into 2021. Therefore, after the huge success of our 

virtual Galapagos Day in 2020, we’re planning to bring you a very exciting 

Spring Webinar, which will explore how our education and outreach work 

is helping to protect Galapagos. 

We are hoping that by October, we will be able to join you in person at 

the Royal Geographical Society for Galapagos Day – watch this space! 

To be the first to hear more details of our events, please sign up to 

our eNewsletter galapagosconservation.org.uk/newsletter or visit 

galapagosconservation.org.uk/events. 

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: 7 June 2021 

We know that not many people will have travelled to 

Galapagos this year, but we’re still running our 2021 

Galapagos Photography Competition. Why not spend some of this 

time at home looking back over your photos? Remember, if you’ve 

entered in previous years you can enter again, just submit different 

photographs. This year’s winner will have their image included in 

GCT’s 2022 calendar! 

The judges of this year’s competition include Creative Director at 

Freeborne Media and Executive Producer of BBC’s Blue Planet II, 

James Honeyborne, Series Producer of BBC’s Blue Planet II, Mark 

Brownlow, and professional photographer, Jay McLaughlin. 

This year our categories are: Up Close and Personal, Animals 

in Action, Landscape, Coastal and Marine, Urban Life, and Birds 

of Galapagos. Visit our website to see the competition rules, to gain 

inspiration from previous years, and to enter your winning Galapagos 

images! galapagosconservation.org.uk/get-involved/photographycompetition. 

GALAPAGOS MERCHANDISE 

Exclusive magazine launch! 

We’re delighted to launch some brand-new 

products in our shop by artist Harriet Broadley. 

These beautiful hand-painted illustrations 

feature some of the incredible wildlife of the 

Galapagos Islands. Exclusive to the magazine 

for a limited time, with a special membersonly 

launch price, these are not to be missed. 

The postcards feature a wonderful mix of six 

different Galapagos species, including the 

iconic blue-footed booby. We also have two 

fantastic A3 prints, Birds of the Galapagos 

and Galapagos Wildlife, the perfect way to 

bring a little bit of the Enchanted Isles into 

your home. 

£12 for a set of six postcards, and 

£25 for each print or two for £40. Order 

now on the payment form or via these 

special website links: bit.ly/HB-GCT-Prints 

and bit.ly/HB-GCT-Postcard. 

Adopt an animal 

Adopting an animal is a great way to help 

conserve Galapagos – and it makes a great 

present for yourself or a loved one! Our 

postal adoptions come with a certificate, 

a collectable fact file, either a soft toy or 

pin badge depending on the species, and 

email updates on our conservation work. 

This year we have the option of including 

a hand-written card for a small extra when 

you order online or over the phone. Find 

out more here: bit.ly/GCT-Adoptions or 

call 020 7399 7440. 

Order these and other Galapagos merchandise using the form on the back page or online at galapagosconservation.org.uk/shop 


23

C L O T H I N G 

T O T E B A G S 

A R T P R I N T S 

P H O T O G R A P H Y 

E T H I C A L L Y S O U R C E D M A T E R I A L S 

O R G A N I C C O T T O N 

R E C Y C L E D P A P E R 

R E N E W A B L E P O W E R E D F A C T O R Y 

P L A S T I C F R E E S H I P P I N G 

S H O P N O W A N D 

S U P P O R T O U R 

C R I T I C A L W O R K 

T H E P R O C E E D S F R O M O U R 

P R O D U C T S W I L L G O T O W A R D S 

F U N D I N G T H E P R O J E C T S T H A T W E 

S U P P O R T I N G A L A P A G O S 

G A L A P A G O S C O N S E R V A T I O N . T E E M I L L . C O M

Spring/Summer 2021 - Galapagos Matters Magazine - Galapagos Conservation Trust

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