The Galápagos

The Galápagos Marine Biodiversity Fund (GMBF) was established in 2006 by the WWF Galápagos Program in collaboration with Ecoventura, an Ecuadorian-based tour operator which operates in the Galápagos Islands, and AEROGAL, an Ecuadorian airline company. The aim of this joint effort is to contribute to the conservation of the archipelago by supporting projects related to marine conservation and education.

In 2007 and 2008, after a technical selection process, the GMBF supported projects related to the improvement of the collection of used oil in Santa Cruz Island; activities of the Environmental Unit of the Municipality of San Cristobal; specialized mechanics for the Galapagos National Park speedboats; and installation of the floating platform Tiburon Martillo to control the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), among others. Also, it supported the Charles Darwin Foundation for research on the distribution, abundance, structure, and population dynamics of sharks in the GMR.

Through these and other projects (see below), we support the management, control and conservation of this World Heritage Site.

Sea Lions Management in San Cristobal Island
In 2008, the fund supported the “Alternative Management of Sea Lions in Wreck Bay, San Cristobal Island” project implemented by the Technical Office of the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS), Araucaria XXI and the GNPS’s Darwin Initiative. Sea lions rested onboard fishing boats, sometimes causing the boats to sink. Fishermen reacted by putting barbwire around the boats, causing severe injuries to the sea lions.

The project conducted a census and monitored the sea lions health; built and installed two floating bases for resting; and built a “primary care nursery for wildlife” for sea lions and other species. It also organized environmental education and communication awareness sessions about the importance of sea lions and the problems of their interaction with the local community.

Currently, sea lions are using the floating bases more often and, in the near future, we expect less sea lions injuries and fewer troubles for the boat owners in the island.