Galapagos Islands Could Lose World Heritage Status

Damage to the Galapagos Islands from mass tourism has prompted a UN committee to declare that the islands are in danger of losing their world heritage site status.

The islands –which were crucial to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution- were the first area to be declared a world heritage site when the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, began the system in 1978.

However, the Ecuadorian archipelago’s unique array of rare species is being put at risk by tourists and the invasive species they inadvertently bring with them.

At a meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, UNESCO’s heritage committee concluded the risk of further damage was so great that it needed to put the islands on its list of world heritage sites in danger.

The committee noted that the number of days spent on the islands by passengers on cruise ships had increased by 150 percent, and today’s decision will increase pressure to restrict Galapagos tourism.

In April, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa declared the islands at risk, proposing restrictions on tourist and residency permits in an attempt to control the damage.