Dear Friends of Galapagos:
Today we have the worst news of years, for both obvious and more subtle
reasons. The "fishermen" in Isabela are "protesting" limits on lobster
fishing in the same way as they did against limits on sea cucumber fishing,
plus other matters they do not agree with. They have destroyed
both National Park and Darwin Station offices, cars, equipment, records,
removed all the tortoises (we don't know to where) from the Centro de Crianza
(tortoise raising center), and even rammed dingies full of tourists to prevent
landings (so far as I know, no injuries).
Of course, the State Department has already been informed and will undoubtedly
issue a travel advisory against any Americans coming here, which affects
absolutely everybody EXCEPT the fishermen, including all conservation projects
(because the funding disappears almost immediately). My news is only
a couple of hours old, at most, so I will try to revise as more comes in,
and I cannot yet guarantee all details, but I will.
In the long term, I would say the effects are even worse than they
first appear. If the President of the Republic himself is not willing
and able, at this point, to send in the troops to haul these criminals off
to the continent and pitch them in the pens, it will be yet another lesson
to them, one in a long line of EXACTLY the same lessons, that they can get
whatever they want by acting against the law. There is nobody
left at a lower level, UNLESS IT IS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, who
can undo these lessons, because all other authorities right up to his level
are heavily compromised by the industrial fishing sector. The local
authorities--our own mayor, our own deputies to congress--have fishing boats
and march and protest right along with the fishermen, supporting them in
EVERY way, right up to using the trucks of the municipality to block the
roads.
If any among you know of anyone at all who might raise his voice--in the
newspapers or anyplace else, be my guest. Tourism, and our own business,
will be shot regardless, so I am only hoping to see some radical action which
will be a help five or ten years down the line. I only have another
hour now before we close the store so our family and employees can go form
up with the few others who understand what is happening and have our own
little protest march, but it is useless. I cannot TELL you how many
of these bleeding marches I have participated in, and the result so far has
been DIDDLY SQUAT.
SINCERELY YOURS,
Christy
BODEGA BLANCA
Jose Luis Gallardo
Propietario
PHONE: (593-5) 526338
Fax : (593-5) 526615
ADDRESS:
Calle Piqueros y Manuel Sanchez
Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz
Galapagos - Ecuador