Interview: Industrial fishermen gave in to the creation of a new protected area in Galapagos to set an “example of conservation”, despite the negative impact on their coffers

Even though the creation of a new protected area in Galapagos, announced by President Guillermo Lasso last week, represents a negative impact of approximately $ 20 million annually, the National Fisheries Chamber (CNP) affirms that this decision shows the union’s commitment to conservation.

Bruno Leone, president of the CNP, indicates that the definition of the 60,000 square kilometers of this new area was the product of an intense dialogue between the Government, environmentalists and fishermen. At first the conservationists spoke of more than 400,000 square kilometers, but in the end a smaller area was determined.

The national government indicated that industrial and artisanal fishermen accepted the creation of this new protected area. What was the reason for the change in position when industrialists, especially the CNP, were totally opposed to the proposal?

This issue (creation of the protected area) began more than a year ago when in June 2020, as every year, the fleet of international boats arrived, most of them under the Chinese flag, which were very close to the jurisdictional waters of Ecuador fishing. giant squid.

There were people, who are grouped in the More Galapagos collective, who said that the archipelago had to be protected by increasing the marine reserve. The first proposal was to increase from 40 miles to 80 miles, but this did not solve the problem of Chinese ships.

So, they (environmentalists) changed the discourse and talked about the creation of a reserve that protects some sensitive species. Basically the hammerhead shark, stingrays, turtles and the whale shark. They claimed that they had detected that these species swim in an underwater route to the northwest of Galapagos above the underwater mountain range of Cocos and that connects with Costa Rica.

So, we said good and began the dialogue, always emphasizing that tuna fishing does not affect these species because it is one of the most controlled fisheries in the world.

But this dialogue began in the previous government and it was learned that the talks did not come to a successful conclusion. What changed in the current administration for the agreement to be finalized?

(In the previous government) a technical dialogue table was set up and we spoke with Roque Sevilla, who had been appointed by former President Lenín Moreno to join a commission together with Yolanda Kakabadse, who would discuss the issue. They appointed a mediator, Juan Dumas.

We put all the technical information on the table, but what they (environmentalists) did was present the first proposal to expand the reserve to 445,000 square kilometers. We objected, since that would generate an affectation of $ 380 million in primary production and, if we add the productive chain, we speak of more than $ 670 million.

We said that we would deliver our contribution in order to protect sensitive species and protect the area above the underwater Cocos mountain range, which was between 27,000 and 30,000 square kilometers, but they (environmentalists) did not accept and the talks ended.

Then the government changed and we started talking again with the new authorities. We spoke with the minister (Gustavo) Manrique and told him that we are not savages and that we are the most interested in preserving the heritage of humanity that is Galapagos and that the stocks of marine resources are healthy and sustainable.

So we told them that we were ready to create a special fishing area on top of the Cocos mountain range. The minister was able to tell us that this was very little and with that international aid would not come and we asked him if conservation or any financial interest was being sought and we remained in our position.

The talks progressed and the point reached President Lasso. So, we accept this area of no take (30,000 square kilometers where no one can fish) and two areas to the sides of this zone, of 6,500 square kilometers each, and around the northwestern part of Galapagos, were determined as a non-longline area. The sum of all these areas gives the announced 60,000 square kilometers.

Does the creation of this new area affect you economically?

Ecuador captures between 220,000 and 260,000 tons per year; of these, 30% are from exclusive economic zones (insular and continental), and of this 30%, 95% are in the Economically Exclusive Zone of Galapagos. Then there is going to be an affectation. We are analyzing the data, but a priori I can tell you that we are talking about $ 20 million annually.

However, now with the area of ​​60,000 square kilometers the impact is much less, if compared to the proposal of more than 400,000 square kilometers.

With the affectation that you say, the industrial sector, perhaps, requested some compensation from the national government?

We always said from the beginning that we were willing to accept (the reservation on the Cocos mountain range) in exchange for nothing. We are not conditioning or saying that if they do not give us something we no longer want. It is simply our contribution, our conscience that we have of conservation, of doing things well, of giving Ecuador and the world the conservation of these sensitive species that inhabit and swim in that area.

Implementing the new reserve would take time, signing decrees, and an environmental management plan. There are points that are still not clear …

President Lasso made the announcement in Glasgow, but implementation is unclear. We must discuss this with the president once he arrives in the country. Because we do not believe that it should be a new reservation, since if a reservation is made it must go to the Assembly and that would interrupt the innocent passage of the ships and would go against the laws of the Convemar.

In my opinion that should be, once the exact coordinates are determined, a fisheries protection area administered and controlled by the Ministry of Fisheries in coordination with the Environment and the Navy. Minister Manrique has assured that it will take six months. We must continue talking so that this is clear and defined.

Our intention is to ask President Lasso for an appointment once he arrives in Ecuador based on the announcement he made, to show him some criteria that we already have and define some things that are not clear.

Environmentalists indicate that this is a first step and that they would seek, in the medium and long term, the creation of other protected areas in Galapagos. Would you agree to this?

COP26 is still going on, but we already see that India, China, the European Union, are not going to enter into the global pact to reduce emissions. Mr. (Leonardo) DiCaprio offered I don’t know what and so far we don’t see anything, the same is Mr. Jeff Bezos.

Everything remains to be seen, but it cannot be that Ecuador ends up being only the one that contributes, the one that contributes, the one that sacrifices its economy, the work for its people. So talking (about future new bookings) is very hasty, very premature. It is necessary to see how this new special area is established, it will be necessary to see if the resources for research that have been announced by Más Galapagos and Roque Sevilla will come.

Wouldn’t this new reserve prevent the presence of the fleet of international ships that every year they are located at the edge of the Galapagos, since these boats fish to the south and the new area is to the northwest? This problem was the one that put into debate the expansion or the creation of a new protected area.

Exactly. It has nothing to do with one another, and that is why we said that if the issue was about Chinese ships, this (new reservation) has nothing to do with it.

Last year the international fleet got very close to Galapagos because the Humboldt Current rose and the squids also rose and were located near the archipelago, but this year there was not so much drama because the Humboldt Current was displaced west by Kelvin waves and the ships were 300 miles away.

This fleet cannot pass the limits and if they do they are stopped. There are controls and monitoring carried out by the Armed Forces of Ecuador.

The Government indicated that this new protected area is also part of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, which will be made up of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador …

That is a statement that the four presidents have made, but that will have to be seen. I can tell you, because I know, that the Costa Rican fishing sector does not agree with any of this and the Government, by its legislation, is seeing what it does because one thing is what it has declared and another is what what is happening within your country.

Talking is easy, but doing is not. We do, Ecuador is going to do it and it will be an example for the world. The Ecuadorian fishing sector has a gold medal and something concrete will be done. President Lasso is going to have the honor of signing something that will be an effective contribution to the world on the issue of conservation. (I)