The Galapagos Islands, the world's second-largest marine reserve, are under attack from fishermen spurred by Asian markets for marine products. The Ecuadorean government has done nothing to halt the eco-terrorism in what only recently was a paradise for eco-tourism.
Renowned as a first-class example of evolution in action through biological isolation, the Galapagos gave Charles Darwin the inspiration and much of the evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection. Their unparalleled scientific value as a natural laboratory of evolution led to them being established as an Ecuadorean National Park in 1959, a World Heritage Site in 1978, and a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1984.
When the islands were made a World Heritage Site, they were deemed a model of conservation, balancing human needs with environmental protection based on scientific strategies for sustainable use. But in the last few years, the exploitative agenda of just one sector of the population has destroyed the islands' shiny showcase image.
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