JUNE 2020
In the Galápagos Islands

• JUNE 2
  Galapagos Islands will wait another month to reopen to tourism and updates on services and current health emergency

• JUNE 2
  Predation event by a Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) against a sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) documented in article published in scientific journal Aquatic Mammals.

  The event was originally recorded on video by naturalist guide Diego Barahona, in November 2018, while he was leading a group of tourists on South Plazas Island, according to a statement sent by the Charles Darwin Foundation.

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  JUNE 3
  Eggs from six green sea turtle nests hatch on the beaches of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island where 11 green turtle nests had been marked and protected.

  Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are born in Galapagos, a species that is in danger of extinction. The Chelonia mydas species is categorized as endangered within the red list of the International union for Conservation fo Nature (IUCN). Photo: Courtesy DPNG

• JUNE 3
  Center for Biological Diversity petition calls for tightening US imports of sea cucumber

• JUNE 4-JUNE 5
  Second half of Galapagos Music Fest online music festival, “Natural Selection Sessions” takes place, raising money for food kits, PPE and PCR tests for the Galapagos Islands

• JUNE 5
  Galapagos Islands scheduled to reopen to tourism on July 1
  
  El Universo provides updates related to research and economic impacts in the islands during the pandemic

• JUNE 7
  Silver Origin ship scheduled to replace the Silver Galapagos in August; the ship will have a capacity of 100 passengers and represents a huge million-dollar investment from the Silversea company.

• JUNE 9
  Birth of six vermillion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus nanus) chicks brings hope to the species in Galapagos.

  Also known as pájaro brujo or the witch bird, the bird has been considered endemic to the Galapagos Islands since 2016 and has been recorded in more than ten islands of the archipelago. However, its population in the upper part of Santa Cruz Island is limited to about 40 breeding pairs, which makes it one of the most vulnerable species in danger of extinction

• JUNE 10
  WWF Ecuador objects to proposed expansion of direct international flights to the Galapagos Islands, citing concerns over the risk it represents for the fragile ecosystems of the archipelago that are closely related to the livelihoods of the local community. Concerns cited by the WWF include ecological damage and the introduction of invasive species

• JUNE 10
  President Moreno partially objects to Humanitarian Law. According to the executives’ partial veto, the Galapagos and civil aviation authorities will have to submit technical reports guaranteeing the sustainability of the ecosystem in order to activate direct international flights to the Galapagos Islands

• JUNE 12
  Shark fin smugglers using coronavirus as cover to ramp up illegal shipments into Hong Kong

  “Conservationists in Hong Kong remain puzzled by the scale of record illegal shark fin shipments into the city this year, at a time when overall consumption is down. The two consecutive shark fin shipments, totaling 26 metric tons (MT) and valued at HKD 8.6 million (USD 1.1 million, EUR 950,000), were seized by the Hong Kong Customs on 28 April and 4 May. An estimated 38,500 sharks were killed for the fins seized in Hong Kong, mostly from the thresher and silky shark, whose trade is regulated under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II. None of the required permits accompanied the shark fins seized in Hong Kong. In Ecuador, the minister with responsibility for fisheries has this month extended an export ban to five additional varieties of shark and has promised increased efforts to improve the “traceability” of the country’s seafood exports.“

• JUNE 15
  Team of specialists from the Autonomous University of Madrid recommend controlling tourist visits to Antarctica following reference models “such as the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador” in an investigation published in the Journal of Environmental Management

  Diego and 14 other giant tortoises were returned to Española Island. Diego is over one hundred years old and has become a symbol of Galapagos conservation, as it is estimated that approximately 40% of the tortoises repatriated to Española Island are his descendants.

  Cerramos un capítulo importante en la gestión del @parquegalapagos, 15 tortugas de #Española, incluyendo a #Diego, regresan a casa tras décadas de reproducirse en cautiverio y salvar a su especie de la extinción. Su isla las recibe con los brazos abiertos. (Noticia en desarrollo) pic.twitter.com/M4a4maQm9E

  — Paulo Proaño Andrade (@PauloProanoA) June 15, 2020

  Diego was carried by park ranger Carlos Gaona in part of his journey to reach his final home.
  Photo: Courtesy of the Galapagos National Park Directorate

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• JUNE 15
  FIFA.com reports that Galapagos is “a paradise for neighborhood soccer”

• JUNE 15
  Residents of Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Floreana and Isabela Islands participated in peaceful marches and demonstration protesting the proposed reforms to the Organic Law of the Special Regime of Galapagos (LOREG) that are being processed in the National Assembly of Ecuador

  

  The reform bill being processed by the National Assembly arises from the initiatives of the Galapagos assembly members Brenda Flor (AP) and Washington Paredes (CREO-SUMA), and was presented about two years ago and they have already passed the first debate. Now the Legislative Commission on Biodiversity is trying to prepare the report for a second debate.

  Faced with this request, yesterday the Legislative Biodiversity Commission reported that thematic tables have been organized to receive the opinion of the Galapagos community from June 17 to 30. There will be five thematic tables: Tourism and Environment, on Wednesday June 17; Fishing and Transportation, on Friday June 19; of the Labor Regime and the Craft Sector, on June 24; of Agricultural Production and Commerce, on June 26, and of Institutional Regime and Governance, on June 30.

• JUNE 27
  National Emergency Operations Committee-approved protocols for the month of July in an eventual restart of flights and tourism. Although the protocol has been released, the reactivation of flights will not be immediate; until last Friday there were no airlines with confirmed flights for July

  With the restart of flights, the protocol for marine tourist transport vessels was also approved – daily tour for when the restart of tourist activities occurs, according to strict biosafety regulations, which advises the use of a mask on a mandatory basis. temperature and the use of gel in alcohol. a negative test for Covid-19 is also required as a biosecurity standard to fly via Ecuadorian airports.

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  JUNE 30
  Travel protocol applies for trips to Galapagos, but there are no scheduled flights yet. Latam expects to return to Galapagos in August, while Avianca is still evaluating the restart of operations to that destination. Photo taken from Ecogal.

  

  In conjunction with the island’s merchants, Latam began work to operate cargo flights in the passenger cabin approximately two months ago, which allows it to serve the archipelago’s food supply and provisions. These flights, with a special rate, are scheduled to operate every week, depending on the demand for cargo.