Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso said at the UN Climate Conference that Ecuador will expand its Galapagos marine reserve at approximately 60 000 square kilometres.
This decision was spawned by a global concern regarding a massive Chinese fishing fleet operating near the Galapagos. These concerns were centred around overfishing’s potential impact on marine wildlife in the remote islands.
‘I announce the declaration of a new marine reserve in Galapagos. It will be nothing less than 60,000 square kilometres to be added to the existing reserve,’ said Lasso at the Climate Conference.
The existing reserve for the remote islands is currently one of the largest in the world, sitting at an impressive 133 00 square kilometres. The addition to the reserve will be divided into two equal areas, one in which fishing will be prohibited, and the other in which it will be allowed, but with certain restrictions. This expansion will add the Cocos Ridge to its reserve, which extends to Costa Rica and hosts feeding and migration areas for endangered wildlife.
Picture: Nacho Doce
