Identify Primary threats & Questions for Policy makers
Foreign invasive species
The introduction of foreign invasive species constitutes, by far, the greatest threat to the long term sustainability of the Galapagos; for, having evolved in an isolated environment, Galapagos’ animals and plants are mostly ill-equipped to compete with aggressive invasive species.
While education is essential to help prevent further contamination by foreign species, it’s not nearly enough. There must be an effort to control the many introduction vectors that currently exist in the islands. Not only from the outside to the Galapagos but also from island to island.
Santa Cruz Gardens understands that while it may not have a direct impact in the introduction of foreign species, it may have an indirect one; for example, through the import of materials and goods into the Galapagos which can carry concealed foreign species. This is why it’s important that all processes have due control. We support the implementation of a Galapagos-exclusive dock in continental Ecuador from where all Galapagos bound vessels must depart after quarantine inspection and other controls. These boats must meet technical criteria so as to reduce the probability of contamination once in the Galapagos: from revised ballast systems to double hulls, to fumigation and cleaning to a crew that understand the high responsibility endowed upon them.
We welcome the new screening process at the airports where the large suitcases are scanned for biological traces. However, we believe that the control is still lax with regard to carry-on items. A quick visual inspection may not suffice to, for example, detect small insects, or seeds.
It is by far more efficient to seek and implement increasingly better ways to avoid the introduction of invasive species to the Galapagos than attempting to restore the habitat once they’ve entered.
We believe that education and control are key. And not only control but sanctions too. There must be steep fines for those proven responsible of introducing, whether knowingly or not, prohibited plant and animal species to the Galapagos.
While we have yet to research the subject, we are particularly worried about diseases that may be brought to the islands; for example, avian or swine flu. This is why prevention is so important.
We have seen that many Galapagos residents tend to take the Galapagos for granted after a while. We are not saying this pejoratively, please, but rather objectively. Even more education and controls are needed because of this. It should be emphasized that the population’s wellbeing is very directly tied to the effective conservation of the islands.
Restoration
Restoration is of extreme importance in the Galapagos, as many islands have been corrupted by decades of intentional and unintentional introduction of foreign invasive plant and animal species.While there are many success stories worth noting regarding restoration efforts, restoration must continue to be a permanent, well funded endeavor.
Better education and controls seem to be needed. For example, we’ve spoken with rural pig farmers who have confided to us that once in a while pigs run astray. We figure that these astray pigs end up as pests to the Galapagos ecosystem, especially if they were to reproduce in the wild. The same can be said for people who have cats and dogs as pets. We simply believe there should be a great control of these animals which are not natural to the Galapagos. These animals reproduce, making population of these “invasive” species grow. Some of these animals may run astray and reproduce in the wild too, imposing a further burden on the Galapagos and on the restoration efforts conducted by the CDRS and other worthy institutions.
Santa Cruz Gardens is also committed with restoration efforts. We will seek to identify all invasive animal and plant species present in our site and will work closely with local authorities for advice on the measures to be taken. We are not for cutting trees even if they are not native unless upon the advise of authorities who know better.
Santa Cruz Gardens will support restoration efforts in several other ways, including financially. Santa Cruz Gardens’ participants are not allowed any pets in the Galapagos and are not allowed to bring in any new non native plants onto their properties either, even if tolerated in the Galapagos.
Migration
Migration puts a direct and indirect burden on the Galapagos. As the population grows, the demands, pressures and risks the ecosystem faces increase. The fact that the Galapagos have sustained what is perhaps the highest population growth rate in all of Ecuador is alarming.
Persons who migrate to Galapagos are Ecuadorians or foreigners who have, of course, every right to dream and to strive for a better quality of life. However, the Islands’ fragility is not compatible with this sort of speculation. That is why migration to Galapagos should be more effectively controlled, and its actual population not allowed to expand any further, at the very least. And perhaps eventually it should be decreased. Migration should be as limited as possible; it should be organic and should obey to the highest purposes and standards.
Many factors contribute to migration. Galapagos has sustained a high population growth rate over the past several years. Most of the migrants have done so out of sheer speculation and do not necessarily have the skills that would make their insertion in the sustainable pipeline easier. Let’s face it, there are far too many factors that contribute to high levels of migration to the Galapagos, from the promise of the ultimate paradise-island frontier to better wages.
Many activities contribute to migration regardless if they themselves have the highest social and environmental standards. The solution is not going after these responsible activities but controlling migration in a much more efficient way.
If you help the local economy you may be fostering migration. If you better educate the locals you are also fostering migration. Even each group of scientists that visit the islands adds a drop in the migration bucket. This is why there must be a proper programme to effectively it. In this regard perhaps the private sector from the continent can help by opening up jobs or posts that can be occupied by Galapagos migrants who voluntarily leave the islands.
Santa Cruz Gardens is aware that as it improves the local economy it also creates incentive for migration. However, we have sought to work exclusively with Galapagos permanent residents who are well aware of our concept, and which calls for high standards. We understand that this is not ultimately sufficient. This is why it’s very important for Santa Cruz Gardens that local authorities control migration in a much more effective way. Santa Cruz Gardens makes itself available to local authorities and NGOs to help in this.
Migration also puts a burden on local resources. Santa Cruz Gardens has sought to be resource efficient by mandating that all houses constructed there be fully solar powered. There is also an upper limit on the size of the homes that can be constructed. Santa Cruz Gardens also has over 3,800m of sewage and a gray and black water treatment system that avoids any contamination. Also, we’ve established buffer zones between our project and the Galapagos National Park.
Industrial Fishing and Over-Fishing
There are activities whose nature is compatible with the Galapagos and there are others whose nature just isn’t. Industrial fishing is perhaps one of the best examples of an activity that is completely incompatible with the Galapagos, this is why it’s banned in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
With regards to sea cucumber over-exploitation in the Galapagos, we see a dramatic example of why it is extremely important to keep openly incompatible activities away from Galapagos, because if they are allowed and take root, it becomes very difficult and socially expensive to eliminate them. There must be better efforts to keep industrial fishing off the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and for this increased controls and more bite to the laws are needed.
Of course, Galapagos’ residents (including fishermen) deserve living conditions commensurable to the islands’ significance. Therefore, it is important to motivate compatible activities that, in addition to providing a legitimate source of income to sustain and qualitatively develop the population, authentically contribute to conservation, schooling and motivation. These sectors must be given viable alternatives. It is important to make the transition from concept to reality; of course setting very high standards that are simultaneously a challenge and a necessary condition.
Contamination
Human presence in the Galapagos comes hand in hand with the risk of contamination. This contamination comes in many ways; from filtrations from septic tanks to floating debris in bays and mangroves; from air and noise pollution to the risk of oil spills. It is very important, so as to keep the risk of contamination at bay, that high standards be enacted and controlled; that systems be devised and taught to the community to help them lead cleaner activities.
Santa Cruz Gardens subjects itself to high standards in this regard. It uses and will continue to use solar powered energy for all its homes, thus avoiding the use of electricity from the grid for such purposes; electricity that is generated by diesel-burning engines.
Furthermore, Santa Cruz Gardens is the first subdivision in the Galapagos to have a gray and black water treatment system that is both efficient and clean, as it produces no contaminants. It is the first private development to have its own sewerage grid, assuring that any and all water it uses is adequately treated.
Lack of regulations and Effective Enforcement
The Galapagos needs more park rangers, and more funds for the effective patrol of the marine reserve .
Any individual in the Galapagos or any company or activity on the Islands should seek to earn the right to be there through the exercise of a high degree of sensitivity. This requires the application of the highest and strictest standards, a continuous education process and permanent improvement achieved through control, monitoring and accountability; and through making conservation a participative, personal challenge more than an imposition.
Every person who may have a relationship to Galapagos, either as a temporary resident, a tourist, a businessman, a public sector worker, an ecologist, or in any other way, should have to earn the right to live or to perform his or her activities on the islands. This state of awareness and incentive must be created and must be complemented by a series of clear and pragmatic regulations that must be abided not only in form but also and more importantly in substance.