Press Release from the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands
Puerto Ayora, Wednesday 15 November 2000

Since Monday 13th November the Charles Darwin Research Station has been experiencing serious problems as a result of the protest actions taken by the lobster fisherman. This press release reports on the current situation within our institution on the islands of Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristobal, and also explains the position of the Charles Darwin Foundation with regard to lobster fishing.

Santa Cruz: After a series of meetings between the fishery sector and other organisations, and after receiving several threats, the Station was closed on the evening of Tuesday 14th November. The offices are under police protection and all the personnel are safe.

San Cristobal: Following several blockades on the part of the fisherman, our offices were closed on 13th November. The offices have suffered no damage and the personnel are safe.

Isabela: On Monday 13th November, the Station offices were occupied by demonstrators, along with the offices of the National Park Service and the tortoise breeding centre. Some baby tortoises were removed by the fishermen from the centre and are in the Municipality premises, which are also occupied. The fishermen in the Station offices are apparently using the Station equipment, but all personnel are safe.

With regard to the lobster fishery and the serious actions recently taken by a group of fisherman, the Charles Darwin Foundation wishes to state:

• at the beginning of this year, the fishery sector, the tourism sector, the National Park and the Station reached an agreement to establish a lobster fishery period of 4-months, or until the determined 50-ton lobster catch (established by the Inter-institutional Management Authority: AIM) was reached.
  
• in 1999, in 4 months 54 tons of lobster were caught and 500 fishermen (including divers and crew) participated in this fishery. In the year 2000, in only 2 months, the fishermen achieved a catch of 54 tons. In San Cristobal the fishery cooperative allowed new fishermen and boats to participate this year – 939 (including 486 divers): double the number of fishermen from last year.
  
• the earnings from this year’s catch are estimated to exceed last year’s earnings by $100,000. However, the raising of the number of fishermen by the fishery cooperatives this year has resulted in a reduction of approximately $600 in the earnings of every active fisherman in comparison to their earnings last year.
  
• on the other hand, the quantity of lobsters caught by each fisherman in any given period of time was greater this year, which probably reflects a temporary increase in the lobster population, due to more favourable reproduction conditions following the last El Niño event. However, a drop has been noted in the catch per fisherman during the period of the current fishery.
  
• in response to this, the Park, the Station and the tourism sector agreed in the Participatory Management Board meeting of 7th November to increase the quantity of lobster that could be caught. The proposal was rejected by some representatives of the fishery sector who wanted no limit on the quantity of lobsters and to be able to fish up to a specific date.
  
• establishing a limit in the quantity of lobster is indispensable in order to ensure a biologically and ecologically healthy population of this species, so guaranteeing sufficient resources for future fisheries. One thousand fishermen fishing up to a non-definite date could cause serious damage, reducing the lobster population drastically.
  
• It should also be mentioned that the precautionary principle is established in the Special Law for the Galapagos Islands, demanding that, in the absence of data, decisions be taken which guarantee the conservation of fisheries resources, not only for conservation but also for the future interests of the fishermen.

The Foundation condemns the use of force and coercion on the Islands and calls on the fishery sector to reflect on the situation and to use the mechanisms for dialogue, as established in law. It regrets also that a technical issue has been politicised in a way that impedes the achievement of technical agreements by reasoned argument based on scientific principles.

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