Below are questions posed by reporter Jocelyn Kaiser of Science Magazine's daily online news Science Now with answers from Graham Watkins, Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation, regarding the recent decree from Ecuador's President Rafael Correa  about Galapagos' "In Danger" status

--As scientists working to preserve the Galapagos, what is your reaction to the declaration?

The CDF very strongly supports the declaration of the President as a critical step forward in resolving many of the conservation challenges. This action recognizing the complex and difficult problems in Galapagos reflects the leadership required to change the direction of development in Galapagos.

--Do you think tourism needs to be capped at current levels, or should there be a reduction?

It is the rate of growth of tourism that has caused problems in Galapagos; it is clear that this rate of growth has outstripped the capacities of the local institutions to manage the impacts. For example, the quarantine system is not equipped to manage the rapid increase in the number of flights and cargo ships arriving, institutions have struggled to manage the increase in education, health, and other public service requirements from increased immigration, and the park has struggled to maintain and train the guides and wardens required to oversee tourism.

The limits to tourism should be based on the impact of tourism on immigration as well as the direct impacts of tourism on the environment through contamination and invasive species. The optimal numbers of tourists must be based on an appropriate analysis of local employment and local human resource availability and long range planning.

--I know that you have a major effort underway to eliminate or reduce invasive species. Is your success dependent on putting tighter controls on tourism and immigration?

Tighter controls on tourism and immigration will ensure that we do not have to deal with additional invasive species in the future, and in particular with species that include diseases of plants and animals or insects that can rapidly affect native and endemic populations. The maintenance of an ecological barrier around Galapagos is the most cost effective way to deal with the invasive species problems, eradication and control of invasive species once they have arrived is much more costly than stopping them from arriving.

--Some of the news stories have suggested Correa is talking about suspending all tourism. But to me, it sounds more like a temporary stop to issuing *new* permits to new tourism operators. Do you know what it means? (Do individual tourists each have to have a permit, or is it the tour operators who get permits?)  

Permits are given out to companies and operators for operations in Galapagos and not to individual tourists. Our interpretation is the same as yours.

--Are you involved with the visit of the UNESCO team? Do you know what they're examining and how long they will be there? (Are they being briefed by scientists?)

The UNESCO team has been briefed by several institutions and through a multi-stakeholder meeting. During these meetings they have discussed a range of issues relating to Galapagos including the effectiveness of local and national institutions, the tourism model and its social and ecological impact, education systems, and invasive species controls and eradication programs. We are members of IUCN and UNESCO and IUCN were our founders in 1959 – we therefore have a close relationship with the UNESCO-IUCN team and have met with them.

They departed Galapagos yesterday and are meeting government agencies and other interested parties in Quito today.