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The Galápagos Islands currently support around 20,000 permanent residents and over 100,000 annual visitors, figures that have been rising consistently since the mid-20 th century and that, some scientists speculate, may surpass the islands' sustainable limit. Given the real threat of human impact, protective measures managing visitation and use of terrestrial and marine environments have been implemented.
In 1959, 97% of the 7,800km2 total land area of the archipelago was declared Galápagos National Park (GNP). Since 1968, this land has been managed by the Galápagos National Park Service, a specialized governmental arm of the national forestry, protected areas, and wildlife agencies. Legal protection of the islands' adjacent waters was first enacted in 1986 with the creation of the Galápagos Marine Resource Reserve and later strengthened in 1998 with the passing of the Special Law of the Galápagos. Since then, the area extending 40 miles beyond the perimeter of the archipelago—the second largest marine reserve in the world behind Australia's Great Barrier Reef National Park—has also been protected, patrolled, and managed by the Galápagos National Park Service.
International actors have also recognized the importance of preserving the Galápagos as an international ecological treasure. The Galápagos were declared the world's first Natural World Heritage Site in 1978 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1984.
Because anthropogenic influences are the greatest threats to island conservation, ecosystem management implies social and economic management as well. Island population is now controlled through strict migration laws limiting the number of new permanent residents and the duration of temporary visas. All cargo is thoroughly inspected in order to avoid the inadvertent colonization of invasive species from the mainland, which can cause drastic declines in native plant and animal populations due to their ability to out-compete for resources or predate incessantly. In addition, mandates for preservation of the Galápagos Marine Resource Reserve place strict limits on the size, number, and location of fish caught by local fishermen. Since these regulatory controls were put into effect, sea cucumber and shark populations—both of which were over-fished to provide for lucrative Asian markets—have increased. Nonetheless, overpopulation, introduced species, and illegal fishing continue to be serious challenges to conservation.
Visitors—not just residents—must also be responsible for respecting conservation goals in the archipelago by following regulations established by the Galápagos National Park. All visitors to National Park territory must carry a guide, stay only during daylight hours (6am to 6pm), and keep close to their group on the marked trails. Park rangers and naturalist guides will also insist that tourists refrain from eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, or smoking on the islands, touching, feeding, chasing, or photographing animals with flash, or removing any item—living or dead—from the islands.
Visitors to the Galápagos have the unique opportunity to take part in one of the world's most successful—and sustainable—ecological tourism ventures. Galápagos tourism promotes income generation without compromising the islands' ecological integrity and also cultivates within its visitors a profound appreciation for the environment. Given this framework, visitors can serve as an important component in the islands' overall strategy for sustainable development by incorporating a conservation attitude in their daily lives, communicating their experiences and learnings to others, and continuing to finance conservation initiatives.
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