Participatory Management of the Galapagos Marine Reserve

Beginning in 1997, fishermen, tour operators, naturalist guides, the Charles Darwin Research Station, and the Galapagos National Park Service worked together to develop a framework for the participatory management of the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Their vision was reflected in the 1998 Special Law for Galapagos, which called for the establishment of a consensus-based management system for the Marine Reserve.

The foundation of this system is the Participatory Management Board (JMP) which is comprised of representatives of the primary Marine Reserve user groups:

• The Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS) is responsible for the administration of the Marine Reserve. Established in 1959 to administer 97% of the terrestrial area of Galapagos, its mandate was expanded to include the 50,000 square miles of the Marine Reserve under the 1998 Special Law for Galapagos. The Park Director represents the GNPS on the JMP and is responsible for implementing decisions approved though the decision making process.
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• The Artisanal Fishing Sector is comprised of local fishermen who are organized in four cooperatives, two of which are based on San Cristobal, one on Isabela and the other on Santa Cruz. The president of the Union of Galapagos Fishing Cooperatives (UCOOPEGAL) represents the sector in the participatory process.
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• The Tourism Sector, comprised of local hotel owners, travel agencies, restaurants, and other related businesses, form part of the Provincial Chamber of Tourism in Galapagos (CAPTURGAL). The President of CAPTURGAL represents the tourism sector in the participatory process.
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• The Naturalist Guides who accompany tourists visiting Galapagos are organized into two associations. Between them they elect a representative to partake in the participatory process.
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• The Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS), established in 1964, is the operative arm of the Charles Darwin Foundation. In addition to carrying out a wide range of research, education, training and technical assistance activities, the CDRS advises the Government of Ecuador regarding Galapagos issues. The Executive Director of the CDRS is its official representative in the participatory process.

The other key player in the system is the Inter -Institutional Management Authority (AIM), which is the ultimate decision making body in the GMR. It is comprised of the Ecuadorian Minister of Environment (President), the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Commerce, Industry and Fishing, the Minister of Tourism, and representatives of the Provincial Chamber of Tourism (CAPTURGAL), the Union of Galapagos Fishing Cooperatives (UCOOPEGAL), and the conservation, science and education sectors, through the Ecuadorian Committee for the Defense of Nature and the Environment (CEDENMA). The Director of the Galapagos National Park Service serves as the AIM’s Technical Secretary, and the Charles Darwin Foundation and an advisory board for the fishing sector serve as advisers and observers.

How the process works:

1. Different user groups in the reserve (fishing sector, tourism sector, naturalist guides, the Galapagos National Park Service, and the Charles Darwin Research Station) develop proposals related to the use and management of the reserve, with the understanding that the proposals will eventually be discussed and negotiated with the other user groups.
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2. The proposals developed by the different user groups, as well as other issues affecting the Reserve, are discussed at meetings of the Participatory Management Board (JMP). Consensus is sought, but not always achieved.
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3. After discussion by the JMP, proposals are passed on to the Inter-Institutional Management Authority for final approval. In cases where consensus is reached by the JMP, proposals are generally approved by the AIM. In cases where the JMP is unable to reach a consensus, the AIM makes the final decision.
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4. The Galapagos National Park Service oversees the implementation of decisions approved by the AIM.
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