The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the Galapagos giant tortoises critically endangered. A recent study warns that individuals of the species Chelonoidis porteri “ingest plastic in and near urban areas” of Santa Cruz. Here’s another warning about what’s happening on the Ecuadorian islands, which were declared a World Natural Heritage Site in 1976 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1984.

In September, Minister of Tourism Niels Olsen expressed concern about the arrival of 20% more tourists than in 2019, the year before the pandemic: “This is a fact that is more worrying than proud. “The Galapagos is quite a sensitive archipelago and urgent measures must be taken.”

Invasive species are another threat and could continue to be listed, but what is urgent are solutions for a territory that attracts with its natural beauty and unique species.

On January 14, Guillermo Lasso signed the expansion of the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Although this measure has met with approval at the national and international level, other actions to protect the archipelago are clearly lacking. This obligation is not only an obligation of the authorities, but also of the residents and visitors of the Galapagos.

As Minister Olsen pointed out, the proposal to increase tickets to the Galapagos National Park is a sensitive but necessary option to stop the mass arrival of tourists. At the same time, it must provide means for control and education about the importance of protecting turtles and their entire environment.

We must demand action, not stop at rhetoric. The expansion of the marine reserve made almost a year ago is possible; Now is the time to take other measures. It is true that the Government is about to close the cycle, but the study on turtle plastic consumption is an opportunity for those who will take responsibility to start defining priorities in their areas. It coincided that the next Minister of Environmental Protection comes from the island. (OR)