Galapagos at the crossroads

摘要

Fishermen in the Galapagos Islands are trapped between catching enough fish and shellfish to justify developing top-paying export markets and the tight restrictions placed on their fisheries inside the Galapagos Marine Park, reports Alison Elvey. Since the early 1990s, the Galapagos Islands' fleet and number of fishermen have nearly doubled, but this rapid growth stabilised five years ago. The fleet is now stringently restricted by law. No new fishing boat licences are issued and fishermen must be permanent residents and affiliated to a fishing co-operative before applying for a permit. All fisheries allowed within Galapagos Marine Reserve waters are exploited by experienced (artisanal) fishermen, but they are having to operate within the confines of the ever-present environmental movement. The highest earning Galapagos fishery is the 60-day sea cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus) season running in May and June.