Dealing with one of the problems affecting the Galapagos Islands, marine litter, has been encouraged Latam Airlines Ecuador and Conservation International (CI) Ecuador sign a cooperation agreement, which will aim to develop an educational initiative for responsible communication and social participation.

The signing was held this weekend in the island region, where representatives of the airline, non-governmental organizations, and local authorities participated.

Inauguration of the Square for Tourist Control and Prevention of Introduced Species in Tortuga Bay in the Galapagos

“This alliance not only continues the same line of commitment that we have as Latam with the Enchanted Islands, but also brings us closer to the big goals we have set for ourselves, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” he said. Monica Fistrović, executive director of Latam Airlines Ecuador.

for his part, Luis Suárez, Vice President and CEO of CI-Ecuador, noted that prevention is key to keeping beaches clean. “Together with Latam Airlines, we will work to promote environmental education on the islands and thus reduce marine litter pollution to take care of the biodiversity of the Galapagos and improve the well-being of its inhabitants,” he said.

While José Antonio Dávalos, Minister of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transitionhe pointed out that this agreement is an opportunity to educate and raise the awareness of the community and visitors about the impact of marine debris on the ecosystems of the Galapagos.

Several initiatives have been implemented to protect the Galapagos Islands from marine debris. Photo: Courtesy

In order to carry out this project, according to CI-Ecuador, a perception analysis will be conducted with surveys of residents and tourists regarding the management of marine waste and the impact on the marine and coastal ecosystems of the archipelago.

After that, a work plan will be proposed with activities aimed at generating proposals for solving problems, through the creation of educational material and strategic campaigns that contribute to the sustainability of the protected area.

99% of the waste collected in the Galapagos comes from Latin America and Asia, says the environment minister

For Latam Ecuador, this alliance adds to the initiatives it already maintains in the island region, among them, ‘Baltra, no plastic’ together with the ecological airport Galapagos, where recycled plastic bottles become uniforms for the airport staff, while in 2021 with the company Silversea worked on a glass and debris cleanup project on Isla San Cristóbal.

According to the airline, more than 15 tons of solid waste, glass, plastic and marine debris were transferred from the Galapagos to mainland Ecuador.