Good news for all of us who love the Galapagos

As you may have heard, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place as we speak in Glasgow, Scotland. It is being attended by 25,000 delegates from 200 countries, plus 120 heads of state.

Their mission is to follow up and discuss the individual efforts each country has made in the past 5 years towards reducing their CO2 and methane emissions, slowing deforestation, ending reliance on coal, and mobilising climate finance. These combined, have the goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees celsius, as anything above that would cause more frequent and severe wildfires, droughts, massive extinction, famines, and unlivable conditions for most humans. 

Keeping healthy oceans is a large component for creating the much-needed resilience against climate change, as well as improving food security. This is why we are celebrating the announcement that Ecuador will expand the size of the Galapagos Marine Reserve by 60,000 km² (23,166 square miles).

Made at the height of the Glasgow summit by Ecuador’s President Mr Guillermo Lasso, this announcement comes after years of urgent calls by world environmentalists concerned about the massive and unhinged fishing fleets operating near the Galapagos islands, often killing thousands of endangered sharks, dolphins, and manta rays for their consumption in Asian food markets.  

The new marine reserve will include the Cocos Ridge, an area in the central Pacific Ocean extending from Galapagos to Costa Rica, that is a teeming underwater swimway for migratory marine species. 

All efforts to preserve the fragile global ecosystems can’t be left to governments and political leaders alone. We need to step up as individuals in our daily activities, preferring biodegradable packaging, minimizing food waste, switching to renewable energy if possible, and more. 

At Andean Travel Company, we do our part, powering our headquarter offices and our Galapagos yachts with Solar energy, investing in smart waste management systems, and donating to NGOs such as the Charles Darwin Foundation which does crucial work in protecting the archipelago’s endangered species. 

Now we look forward to hearing from your conservation efforts as well!