Plastic microparticles threaten unique Galapagos fauna

Yahoo – AFP, Rodrigo BUENDÍA, March 22, 2019

Iguanas are among the unique creatures inhabiting the Galapagos Islands
whose existence is threatened by plastic waste (AFP Photo/RODRIGO BUENDIA)

Galapagos (Ecuador) (AFP) - Armed only with gloves and large sacks, park rangers and volunteers are battling the scourge of plastic waste blighting the idyllic Galapagos Islands and their unique creatures.

Tons of plastic waste wash up on the shores of the Galapagos islands where microparticles end up in the stomachs of species found only in the Pacific archipelago 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) west of mainland Ecuador.

Those microparticles, often from waste discarded in big cities from other countries and even continents, are perhaps one of the greatest threats to the iguanas, tortoises, birds and fish of the Galapagos.

The tiny plastic pieces become part of the food chain "that we may later feed on," biologist Jennifer Suarez, a marine ecosystems expert with the Galapagos National Parks (PNG), told AFP.

Sun rays and the ocean's saltwater break down bottles, bags, lids, containers and fishing nets.

Factfile on marine iguanas in the Galapagos (AFP Photo/Adrian Leung/

John Saeki)

Yet while those objects may appear solid to the naked eye, when battered against rocks or by the force of waves, microparticles splinter off, which are subsequently ingested by animals.

Every year, and despite the punishing heat and sun, expeditionary groups arrive at Galapagos beaches to survey the damage caused by man.

Sex toys, shoes, lighters, pens and tin cans are amongst the waste found in areas used by animals, including some in danger of extinction.

In uninhabited zones such as Punta Albemarle, in the far north of Isabela Island, where AFP joined a team of cleaners, waste from far and wide was discovered.

"More than 90 percent of the waste gathered doesn't come from Galapagos activities, but rather from South America, Central America and even a great deal of waste with Asian branding," said PNG director Jorge Carrion.

With a population of around 25,000, the archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has tightened its rules regarding plastics use in recent years.

A volunteer shows a green tea label collected on Isabela Island in the 

Galapagos archipelago (AFP Photo/RODRIGO BUENDIA)

'Chinese brands'

Most of the plastic waste washing up on the Galapagos shores are bottles of Peruvian, Colombian or Panamanian products, and containers with Chinese branding.

That waste "probably comes from the fishing fleets from Asia just outside the Galapagos' exclusive economic area," said Carrion, speaking from the PNG dock in Puerto Ayora, the capital of Santa Cruz Island.

Since 1996, local fishermen have been cleaning the remotest islands and for the last three years, they've been keeping a register.

"This lets us identify the origin of waste on unpopulated coasts," said Suarez.

"Over the last two years of monitoring, we've noticed that the largest number of brands are Peruvian and Chinese."

While currently there is no such legislation, the hope is that this register can be used in the future to make compensation claims against those responsible for environmental harm.

A cormorant sits on her nest surrounded by garbage on the shore of Isabela 

Island in the Galapagos archipelago (AFP Photo/RODRIGO BUENDIA)

Already in 2019, eight tons of waste has been collected, compared to 24 in the whole of 2018 and just under 6.5 tons the year before.

Park rangers also keep a register, but theirs is of the animals affected by the waste, such as the cormorant that builds its nests using used diapers and plastic bags, or the body of a booby found buried in a pile of rubbish.

'Appeal to consciences'

Another shocking discovery is plastic bags that have been bitten by sea turtles that mistake them for jellyfish, an important part of their diet.

"We have indiscriminately thrown so much waste into the sea that it has turned up at coasts where there are no people, but already there is garbage," Sharlyn Zuniga told AFP.

The 24-year-old clean-up volunteer said she came across pristine beaches with fine white sand, but spoilt by rubbish.

Since the start of the year, eight tons of garbage has been collected by volunteers 

on the Galapagos Islands (AFP Photo/Rodrigo BUENDIA)

"What I saw was very hard (to take). We're used to seeing the best part of the Galapagos in pictures and postcards," she said.

Large bags of plastic waste collected on the archipelago are sent to mainland Ecuador to be incinerated.

"We're getting rid of the waste that accumulates in these places, to avoid it breaking down and turning into microparticles," said Suarez.

Over time Carrion hopes less and less waste will be collected but 2019 is expected to turn up as much as 2018.

"We need to go beyond just collecting waste. We need to appeal to consciences on a global level, so people stop throwing waste into the sea," said Carrion.

Galapagos bans fireworks to protect unique wildlife

Yahoo – AFP, December 28, 2018

A Galapagos marine iguana, pictured in January 2018, sunbathes next to tourists
at Tortuga Bay beach on Santa Cruz Island (AFP Photo/Pablo COZZAGLIO)

Quito (AFP) - Fireworks have been banned on the Galapagos Islands to protect the archipelago's unique fauna, the local government said on Friday.

The local council said in a statement that it had agreed "unanimously a resolution that prohibits the importation, sale, distribution and use of fireworks or pyrotechnics in the Galapagos province."

Those fireworks that produce light but no noise have been excluded from the ban.

The islands are home to thousands of residents as well as being a tourist destination, and the measure comes just days before New Year celebrations in which many people traditionally set off fireworks.

"Ecosystems as sensitive as the Galapagos Islands are affected (by fireworks), principally its fauna that is unique," said the council.

It also wants to avoid any potential deterioration in air quality or pollution of water sources.

Animals have suffered from elevated heart rates, nervous stress and anxiety, which have "notably" changed their behavior and affected the survival of species inhabiting this World Heritage Site that belongs to Ecuador.

"This is a gift to conservation for Ecuador and the world," Lorena Tapia, president of the local council, said on her Twitter account.

A campaign to limit the use of fireworks on the Galapagos Islands was launched in 2017.

Single-use plastics have also been banned on the archipelago, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador.

Known for its endemic species, the volcanic Galapagos Islands played a crucial role in British naturalist Charles Darwin's studies before he came up with his theory of evolution.

Narco submarine carrying 3 tons of cocaine captured off Galapagos Islands

A narco-sub carrying three tons of cocaine has been captured by the Ecuadorian and Colombian navies. Narco-traffickers have used submarine-like vessels to move drugs to the United States.

Deutsche Welle, 19 December 2015

The semi-submersible drug boat was captured and three crew members arrested after the vessel encountered mechanical problems 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the Galapagos Islands.

The Colombian navy said in a statement on Friday its boats had been pursuing the makeshift submarine through the Pacific Ocean for four-days with the help of US government surveillance aircraft.

Authorities said the ultimate destination of the cocaine was likely the United States.

Since the early 1990s authorities have captured some 100 handcrafted submarines trafficking cocaine from where it is grown and processed in the Andes to Central America and Mexico on its way to its ultimate destination, the United States.

Peru and Colombia are the world's top producers of cocaine, the production and trafficking of which has fueled deadly violence and corruption throughout Mexico and Central and South America.

cw/jlw (AP, dpa)

Fears for pink iguanas as Galapagos volcano erupts

Yahoo – AFP, 25 May 2015

The eruption of the volcano Wolf on Isabela Island, Galapagos on
May 25, 2015 (AFP Photo/Diego Paredes)

Quito (AFP) - A volcano in the Galapagos islands erupted for the first time in more than 30 years Monday, sending streams of lava flowing down its slopes and potentially threatening the world's only colony of pink iguanas.

The Galapagos National Park warned on Twitter that Isabela Island, where Wolf volcano erupted at dawn, holds "the world's only population" of the iguanas, Conolophus marthae, also known as the Galapagos rosy iguana.

Park officials told AFP they were not immediately able to establish whether the iguanas were at risk from the eruption.

A tourist boat passing by the uninhabited island informed authorities the 1,707-meter (5,600-foot) volcano was erupting.

Park officials then flew over the area to assess the impact of the eruption.

Pictures released by the park show fiery streams of lava trickling down the side of the volcano as a puff of smoke rises into the air and tongues of fire dart from the crater.

Wolf volcano had last erupted in 1982.

Isabela Island is the largest in the Galapagos, the Ecuadoran archipelago made famous by Charles Darwin's studies of its breathtaking biodiversity, which was crucial in his development of the theory of evolution by natural selection.

The island chain, which sits about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, is one of the most volcanically active regions in the world.

Isabela island, which strides the equator, also has four other volcanoes: Darwin, Alcedo, Cerro Azul and Sierra Negra.

State of emergency for Galapagos Islands after ship runs aground

A state of emergency has been put in place at the famous Galapagos Islands, a week after a cargo ship carrying hazardous materials became stranded. Fuel from the vessel has leaked into the pristine marine environment.

Deutsche Welle, 5 Feb 2015

Ecuador's government put a state of emergency in place on Wednesday (local time) for the Galapagos Islands, authorities said. Fears there are growing that fuel leaking from the stranded vessel may place the fragile UNESCO World Heritage Site ecosystem at risk.

The state of emergency will apply for 180 days and includes the national park, the protected marine reserve and the archipelago, Ecuador's Environment Ministry wrote on its website.

The ship, Floreana, carrying more than 1,400 tons of cargo, including food and hazardous materials as well as 38,850 liters (10,000 gallons) of fuel, ran aground off the island of San Cristobal on January 28.

Some fuel has leaked into the surrounding water, but has been controlled by booms.

The ship, which is in the process of being refloated and removed, had its hull destroyed when it ran aground. The recovery process is expected to take two to four weeks.

Most of the hazardous materials, such as gas bottles and asphalt have been recovered and removed from the vessel, only the diesel remains on board.

This is the third instance of a ship running aground near the Islands in the past year.

In May last year, the ship Galapaface I, with nearly 72,000 liters of fuel and hazardous materials on board hit a rock, in November another supply ship succumbed to the same fate.

The Galapagos Islands, famous for the vast number of species and pristine environment, are located some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off Ecuador's Pacific coast.

jlw/sms (epd, AFP)

Famed Galapagos tortoise 'Pepe the Missionary' dies

Yahoo – AFP, 23 Aug 2014

Galapagos turtle "Pepe the missionary" on February 7, 2014 at San Cristobal
Island in the Galapagos, Ecuador (AFP Photo)

Quito (AFP) - "Pepe the Missionary," a giant tortoise who rose to fame as one of the most photographed animals on Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, has died at age 60, officials said Friday.

Pepe, who lived in a corral at the Galapagos National Park's Interpretation Center, died of natural causes, said the park's ecosystems director, Victor Carrion.

"Several of his organs had been slowly failing," Carrion told AFP, saying the tortoise was also overweight.

Park director Arturo Izurieta paid tribute to the tortoise on Twitter.

"After 60 years of life, Pepe the Missionary will remain in our memories forever," Izurieta said.

He brightened the post with a bit of good news for conservationists: "The disappearance of Pepe the tortoise does not put his species in danger."

Pepe was a member of the Chelonoidis becki species native to Wolf Volcano on the island of Isabela.

About 2,000 tortoises from the same species still live in their native habitat.

Pepe was adopted from the wild by a family from San Cristobal island in the 1940s.

Local fishermen named him "Pepe," which was then expanded to "Pepe the Missionary" when he was given to Franciscan missionaries on the island in 1967.

He became the missionaries' mascot and a beloved community pet, often photographed and fed by visitors to the mission.

The missionaries handed him over to the national park in 2012 -- the same year the reserve lost another famous tortoise, Lonesome George, the last known member of the subspecies Geochelone nigra abingdoni.

The Galapagos Islands are famous for their unique flora and fauna studied by Charles Darwin as he developed his theory of evolution.

Ecuador emergency over stricken Galapagos freighter

Yahoo – AFP, May 16, 2014

Ecuador emergency over stricken Galapagos freighter (AFP)

Quito (AFP) - Ecuador declared an environmental emergency in the Galapagos Islands Thursday, after a freighter carrying pollutants ran aground last week.

The measure will free up resources to remove the ship and mitigate its impact in the face of "possible environmental damage that could unleash a disaster" said the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park (DPNG).

The vessel, which ran aground off the Baquerizo Moreno port on the island of San Cristobal on Friday, was carrying 19,000 gallons (around 72,000 liters) of cargo fuel that has already been removed.

But highly polluting motor oil and cleaning products remain in the ship's airtight holds, yet to leak out.

At the request of Galapagos authorities, Ecuador's Environmental Minister Lorena Tapia issued the environmental emergency.

The measure aims at protecting the archipelago's marine reserve, specifically the "area affected by the stranding and possible sinking of the cargo ship 'Galapaface I'" DPNG said in a statement.

The Ecuadoran-owned Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, are classified as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Galapaface 1, which was carrying 1,000 tons of cargo when it ran aground, became blocked by sand and rocks that cracked its hull, causing flooding in the vessel's engine room.

In 2001 the Ecuadoran ship "Jessica," which was carrying fuel, ran aground near the same spot, causing a serious environmental crisis that affected several species.

The region is home to a large population of sea lions.

The Galapagos Islands are famous for their unique flora and fauna studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle as he developed his theory of evolution.

Century-old Galapagos tortoise dies

Deutsche Welle, 25 June 2012

Lonesome George, the only remaining Pinta Island tortoise, has been found dead in the Galapagos National Park - leaving the world one subspecies poorer.

A conservation icon, Lonesome George the tortoise had become an ambassador for the Galapagos Islands. George lived at a tortoise breeding center on the island of Santa Cruz. He was found Sunday morning near the watering hole in his pen by his longtime keeper, Fausto Llerena, the park said in a statement.

"The death of Lonesome George has left our planet one subspecies poorer," said Volker Homes, head of wildlife conservation at WWF Germany.

"George was a symbol," Homes told DW. "It was clear, when this species dies, there's no bringing it back." The conservationist warned that the extinction of species is not good for human beings. "It leaves us fewer options," he said.

Fresh meat

Homes said the tortoise's extinction has been caused by human activity. Sailors, whalers and pirates used to take large numbers of live tortoises on their journeys because the creatures could survive for months without food and provided an invaluable source of meat.

The archipelago has 14 main islands

Later, settlers brought with them goats and other non-native animals that pushed the native species from their feeding sites and decimated the Galapagos' giant tortoise population even further.

A recovery program run by the park and the Charles Darwin Foundation increased the overall population from 3,000 in 1974 to 20,000 today. The archipelago has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978, recognized for the rich plant and animal life found both on its land and in the surrounding sea.

A haven for tortoises

Lonesome George's precise age was not known, but scientists believe he was about 100 years old.

The tortoise was discovered on Pinta Island in 1972 at a time when giant tortoises of his type, Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, were already believed to be extinct. Various mates were provided for George in what proved to be unsuccessful attempts to keep his subspecies alive.

The park said the cause of his death would be investigated.

Author: Dagmar Breitenbach

Editor: Saroja Coelho

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