Unesco adds Galapagos to endangered list

Saturday June 23, 2007
The Guardian

The Galapagos Islands may have to be listed as "in danger" because tourism is threatening the environment that helped shape Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, the chairman of Unesco's World Heritage Committee warned yesterday.

The committee begins a weeklong meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, today and will consider an application from the territory's ruler, Ecuador, to further protect the Galapagos, said Tumu te Heuheu. The islands have "a very fragile ecosystem and there is a need to manage those activities" he said. The Tower of London is another world heritage site being considered for the endangered list.

Delegates will also consider applications to add at least 45 new sites - including Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and 11 natural sites - to the World Heritage list.

The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, declared the archipelago at risk in April and made it a national priority for action. The islands, Ecuador's top tourist draw, were suffering an environmental and social crisis, he said, and needed restrictions on tourist and residency permits.

"A site in danger doesn't mean to say we've lost the benefit of the site," Mr Te HeuHeu told New Zealand's National Radio. "It simply means that there are some matters that need to be tended to with the support from international bodies like Unesco."

The islands were given World Heritage site status by Unesco in 1978 and in 1985 were declared a Biosphere Reserve. This was extended in 2001 to include the 43,500 square miles (70,000 square kilometres) of ocean surrounding the islands.

Thirty-one world heritage sites are already on the danger list.