Galapagos Islands: A paradise that's in danger of being lost

Galapagos Islands: A paradise that's in danger of being lostFishing, tourism and an unstable government threaten Charles Darwin's natural laboratory.

The town of Puerto Ayora might be the cleanest in Latin America. It recycles everything from lubricants to batteries. The number of cars allowed is limited. Birds dive into the bay to catch the bountiful fish. And sea lions sun themselves all around.

But Puerto Ayora has a problem: It's in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, which have an ecosystem as fragile as the wings of a butterfly.

With a burgeoning population, an endless stream of tourists, an insatiable and powerful fishing industry, and a corrupt and unstable national government, the islands - as Charles Darwin knew them when he visited in the 19th century and developed his famed theory of the origin of species - may be headed for extinction...

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This is distressing to say the least.

What future are we creating for ourselves???

[edit on 4-1-2006 by loam]