Page 140 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

The Galapagos Islands 117

of living, in turn making the islands more attractive Tourism on the islands has begun to shift away
to immigrants. In this way the growth of tourism from nature-oriented and Darwin-linked tourism,
and the population stimulate the arrival of more and illegal migrants are being removed. Adventure
flights and more cargo ships, decreasing the tourism, larger cruise ships (up to 500 passengers),
isolation of the archipelago and thereby increasing low-budget hotels and activity-based tourism
the arrival of invasive species – the greatest threat (sport fishing, beach camping, biking, kayaking
to local biodiversity. In 1987 the government and parachuting) are being promoted. And it is
imposed a 25,000 level restriction on the number only a matter of time before such activities begin
of tourists allowed to visit but that limit has not to incorporate the volcanoes on the islands. At
since been enforced. that point the national park will need to establish
more comprehensive regulations if the risk
Risk management associated with volcanism is to be managed
Sustainable development on the Galapagos is effectively.
complicated by the same factors that affect the
development of islands all over the world. The References
islands are resource-poor, have few marketable Epler, B. (2007) Tourism, the Economy and Population
products, and have high transportation costs to Growth and Conservation in Galapagos, Fundación
external markets. Production costs are high because Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora
of the absence of economies of scale, and because Harpp, K. S., Wirth, K. R. and Korich, D. J. (2002)
most raw materials must be brought from the ‘Northern Galápagos Province: Hotspot-induced,
mainland. In addition, there is a shortage of trained near-ridge volcanism at Genovesa Island’, Geology,
vol 30, no 5, pp399–402
human resources because the resident population Harpp, K. S., Wanless, V. D., Otto, R. H., Hoernle, K.
size is usually small and training is costly. As a result, and Werner, R. (2004) ‘The Cocos and Carnegie
risk management on the Galapagos Islands relates aseismic ridges: A trace element record of long-
mainly to the archipelago’s wildlife sanctuary status term plume–spreading center interaction’, Journal
and the size of the ‘permanent’ population, not to its of Petrology, vol 46, no 1, pp109–133
volcanism. In 1959, the centenary of The Origin of Hey, R. N., Deffeyes, K. S., Johnson, G. L. and Lowrie,
Species, the Ecuadorian government declared 97.5 A. (1972) ‘The Galapagos triple junction and plate
per cent of the archipelago’s land area a national motions in the east Pacific’, Nature, vol 237,
park. The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), an pp20–22
NGO located in Belgium, was founded the same Kraul, C. (2009) ‘Galapagos boots Ecuadorians as
year with a core responsibility to conduct research tourism booms’, Japan Times, World/Classified
Section 1, Tokyo
for the Government of Ecuador on the effective UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2009) List of World
2
management of the islands. In 1986 70,000km of Heritage in Danger, UNESCO, Paris
ocean surrounding the islands was declared a marine Watkins, G. and Cruz, F. (2007) Galapagos at Risk: A
reserve and in 1990 the archipelago became a whale Socioeconomic Analysis of the Situation in the Archipelago,
sanctuary. In 1978 UNESCO recognized the islands Fundación Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora
as a world heritage site and in 1985 as a biosphere Wikimedia Commons (2009) ‘Galapagos Islands map’,
reserve. This was later extended in December 2001 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Galapagos-
to include the marine reserve. satellite-esislandnames.jpg, accessed 20 July 2009

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