Underwater World of the Galapagos Islands

ZUMA Press Inc - 1121 days ago
Underwater World of the Galapagos Islands
May 28, 2003 - Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - Macro close up of Orange Cup coral. he Gal‡pagos marine sanctuary is under threat from a host of illegal fishing activities, in addition to other problems of development. The most pressing threat to the Marine Reserve comes from local, mainland and foreign fishing targeting marine life illegally within the Reserve, such as sharks (hammerheads and other species) for their fins, and the harvest of sea cucumbers out of season. Development threatens both land and sea species. The growth of both the tourism industry and local populations fuelled by high birth rates and illegal immigration threaten the wildlife of the Archipelago. The recent grounding of the oil tanker Jessica and the subsequent oil spill brought this threat to world attention