IO Podcast | Episode 55
The Galápagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site located 1,000 kilometers off Ecuador’s Pacific coast, face growing vulnerabilities due to the very policies designed to protect them. Despite regulatory efforts to curb population growth through residency restrictions and subsidies to make island life more affordable, unintended consequences have emerged. Subsidies on fuel, for instance, have fostered an illicit market where galapagueño fishermen refuel their ships and resell the fuel to illegal fishermen and other maritime operators.
Francisco Zalles, a professor at Hespérides University and a researcher at the Ecuadorian Institute of Economic Policy (IEEP), moved to the Galápagos and quickly identified these pressing challenges. Alongside IEEP, Zalles led the creation of the Galápagos Observatory. This initiative recently published its first investigative report, analyzing the adverse effects of population control, subsidies, and a sprawling bureaucracy.
Zalles explains the complexity of the issues affecting the Galápagos requires continuous research and community engagement. Through the observatory, he aims to present research findings to locals and empower them to rally around feasible and sustainable solutions. The ultimate goal is to protect the islands’ unique ecosystem while fostering prosperity for the local population.
Recommended Links
- Follow Francisco Zalles on X.
- Follow IEEP on X.
- “How Meddling Came Back to Haunt the Precious Galápagos Islands,” Impunity Observer.
- “Galápagos: A Crisis in Evolution,” IEEP.
