Ecuador to Establish Half of Galapagos/Cocos Swimway

By Mark J. Palmer

During international discussions last week on addressing climate change, the government of Ecuador announced that it would greatly increase the size of the existing Galapagos marine protected area by 23,000 square miles, essentially establishing one half of the proposed Galapagos Islands/Cocos Island Swimway.

According to the New York Times, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso said at the climate summit in Glasgow: “Today is a day that will remain in history for us, Ecuador, Galápagos and the world. We are not only preserving the future of our country, but the entire humanity.”

The Galapagos Islands are currently protected by a marine reserve of 50,000 square miles, established to protect the unique marine life of the islands.

Scientists have determined that a “swimway” exists between the Galapagos Islands and the protected Cocos Island of Costa Rica. The swimway provides a migratory route between the islands for sharks, including whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, hammerhead sharks, and sea turtles, as well as marine mammals.

The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute, Turtle Island Restoration Project, and many other conservation organizations have endorsed the establishment of the Galapagos/Cocos Swimway to protect marine life along with the unique island chains at the heart of the swimway.

Botanist Sarah Darwin, the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin, who formulated his theory of evolution due in part to his visit to the Galapagos Islands, told the BBC: "If you can save the Galapagos, you can save the world."

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