Subject: Galapagos Conservation Trust e-News

From: "Galapagos Conservation Trust" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:49:03 +1200

Welcome to the Galapagos Conservation Trust e-News Home  | Membership  | Newsroom  | Conservation projects  | About Us  | Contact Us  Welcome to the Galapagos Conservation Trust's e-newsletter... 26 April, 2007 

Dear Mr Stephens, 

In this edition: 

Ecuadorian government calls for immediate action to conserve Galapagos 
GCT's shark campaign launched 
Prestigious award for visionary scientist 
Galapagos News online 
Photographic information updated 
Name change for GCT website 
Ecuadorian government calls for immediate action to conserve Galapagos 

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has declared the Galapagos Islands at risk and a national conservation priority. The President's declaration recognises the need for urgent and radical change in the direction of development in Galapagos. 

Galapagos is experiencing rapid economic growth, increasing institutional complexity and frailty, and consequent impacts on biodiversity through invasive species, pollution and over-harvest. Tourism visitation has grown in Galapagos from 40,000 in 1991 to over 120,000 in 2006; over this period the tourism economy has grown at a yearly rate of 14%... 

For the full article, visit our website at www.savegalapagos.org/apr07_1.html. 

GCT is very supportive of the Ecuador Government's intention to introduce measures to overcome the huge institutional, environmental and social crises in the Islands, and we look forward to learning more about the actions proposed. GCT continues its work to raise funds and awareness for conservation of the very special ecosystem in the islands, increasingly threatened by rapid economic growth. 

..Top 
GCT's shark campaign launched 

200 sharks are killed a minute ... up to 100 million sharks are killed a year ... one shark fin can sell for as little as £5 ... sharks could be completely wiped out in the next 50 years ... 

If these are facts that horrify you, then visit www.savegalapagos.org/sharkmain.html for details of our shark campaign, and information on the barbaric practice of shark finning that is on the increase in Galapagos and around the world. 

We need to stop the demand for shark fins. GCT wants the UK to be a leading example to the rest of Europe to change the law and stop this unnecessary trade. To make the trade of shark fins in Europe illegal would make a significant difference to the demand and could be used as a model for the rest of the world. We urgently need to raise money to increase the protection and monitoring of the marine reserve in Galapagos - one of the biggest shark refuges in the world. 

..Top 
Prestigious award for visionary scientist 

The Ecuadorian Government honored Professor Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt with the Condecoracion de la Orden Nacional al Merito en Grado de Comendador award for service to the country, during the opening dinner on 8th April for the UNESCO world heritage site review committee meetings held in Galapagos this week. The Minister of the Environment, on behalf of the Ecuadorian Government, bestowed the award commemorating the 50th anniversary of the efforts by Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt and the late Robert Bowman that led to the establishment of both the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos National Park in 1959. 

For the full article, visit our website at www.savegalapagos.org/apr07_2.html. 

..Top 
Galapagos News online 

The Spring 2007 issue of Galapagos News has been published and hit mailboxes around the world recently. Both Galapagos News and UK News are now available for downloading from the Members Area of our website at www.savegalapagos.org/mem_area.html. 

If you would prefer to receive Galapagos News by email instead of mail in the future, please email [email-masked] and we will notify you each time new issues are placed online. 

..Top 
Photographic information updated 

We have recently updated the Photographic Guide section of our website to include information on digital cameras and other technology, thanks to Julian Fitter, Daniel Fitter and David Hosking who have just published a new edition of "Wildlife of Galapagos", and who allow us to provide excerpts from their book online. 

You can read our guide at www.savegalapagos.org/photo.html, or email [email-masked] for details of how to purchase the book. 

..Top 
Name change for GCT website 

GCT has a new address for its website that will hopefully stick in everyone's minds and tell you exactly what we aim to do - www.savegalapagos.org. You will still be able to access the website through the old address, www.gct.org, but please update your favourites and other links to the new address. 

..Top 

Galapagos Conservation Trust GOLD CLUB 
Bales Worldwide | Bernard Chandran | Celebrities Worldwide | Discovery Initiatives | Durley House | Eric Way | Flemings | Laurent Perrier | Nicholas Moll Design | Quasar Nautica | Rhubarb | Select Latin America | The Ultimate Travel Company 
Subscribe | Forward this newsletter to a friend | Change your email address 

Would you prefer to receive a text-only version of this email newsletter?
Then please reply and write TEXT in the subject line of your email. 

GCT is a registered charity (no. 1043470). Address: 5 Derby Street, London W1J 7AB, United Kingdom. If you have received this email in error, or wish to be removed from our list, please reply and write UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Home | About GCT | Explore Galapagos | Conservation | Get Involved | Newsroom | Events | Visiting Galapagos | Junior Zone | Links | Site map Copyright &copy; Galapagos Conservation Trust 2007. Read our Terms of use and Privacy policy