Fifteen politicians on the committee may well have given the priceless archipelago a clean bill of health, but that isn't what came out of the monitoring mission to the islands in April, by a team of Unesco officials and scientists from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
They have compiled a State of Conservation Report 2010 for the Galapagos, but you can't read it yet on the Unesco website as it's password-protected and only available to delegates at the current World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia.
But it's known that it recommended keeping the islands on the danger list, and talking to Unesco officials yesterday it became clear that the concerns it expresses about the islands' future are still very real. They focus especially on the continual risk of invasive species getting from the mainland to these islands, which are so special because they have developed in isolation.
In matters of conservation, politicians overruling scientific advice is always a very dodgy business, and Wednesday's vote in Brasilia has question marks written all over it. It should set alarm bells ringing for anyone who cares about the future of the islands which were the cradle of evolution.
More about it here
A giant tortoise yesterday, after being told it wasn't in any danger any more.
4 comments:
That does sound a little fishy...
Perhaps the policitians want to have a Galapagos turtle soup party? >.>
-French Bean
I wouldn't put anything past them.
Te turtle doesn't look inpressed but it is a fantastic picture. I want to go diving there, it would be fantastic.
Yeah, I have to say this is a bit surprising.
Bit, shit, us USA yanks elected George Bush for two terms, so nothing surprises me anymore.
Post a Comment