Darwin's 'Eden' under threat

By Lisa Cardy

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The Galapagos Islands are regarded by scientists as one of the most precious habitats on Earth. Nearly all of its reptiles and half of its insects and birds cannot be found anywhere else.

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The rescue operation continues

In 1835, during his famous voyage of The Beagle, Darwin spent five weeks on the islands. The discoveries he made on the islands were crucial in developing his theory of evolution, because their isolation allowed species to develop uniquely. But the wildlife is in serious danger following an oil spill close to the island of San Cristobal, on the eastern side of the islands.

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The accident happened when the tanker Jessica ran aground off the island of San Cristobal. So far most of the tanker's one million litres of diesel have spilt into the sea.

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The spill poses a serious threat to the islands unique biodiversity, where almost all native flora and fauna remain intact. Galapagos National Park officials said long-term danger would come from the fuel sinking to the ocean floor, destroying algae vital to the food chain, threatening marine iguanas, rare tortoises, sharks, birds and other species.

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Already the spill is spreading towards Spain Island, where large colonies of sea lions and other marine animals congregate.

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Several unique bird species are also at risk from the Galapagos oil spill. The archipelago is an endemic bird area: where at least two species breed that can be found nowhere else. The unique Galapagos penguin and cormorant are endangered, as is The Galapagos petrel. They each face a high risk of becoming extinct even without the oil spill. The birds are all dependent on the seashore for survival, which is exactly where poisoned fish as well as the oil itself will be washed up.

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At most there are only 800 lava gulls on the islands and it is classified as "vulnerable" by the World Conservation Union because it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future. Also classified as vulnerable is the waved albatross.

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The islands are also famous for their giant tortoises and iguanas. Because of the absence of mammals these reptiles were able to reach unique proportions. Already dead sea urchins and fish, crucial to the food chain, are washing up on the beach. The long term effects will not be known for weeks.

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The WWF is putting pressure on the Ecuadorian Government and the international shipping community to consider designating the waters around the islands as a particularly sensitive sea area. Should governments also be lobbying Ecuador or should we just accept oil spills as a consequence of 21st century living Join in The AnswerBank discussion, click here