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QUITO - A United Nations committee meeting in Christchurch yesterday declared Ecuador's Galapagos islands in danger as booming tourism and immigration threaten giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies unique to the archipelago.
"They are threatened by invasive species, growing tourism and immigration," UNESCO's world heritage committee said a statement.
The volcanic islands, located 1000km west of Ecuador's coast, inspired British naturalist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Maria Espinosa said the committee's statement "will help the government's efforts to solve the complex problems of the Galapagos."
President Rafael Correa declared the islands at risk in April and has vowed to impose more rigorous population restrictions and temporarily suspend some tourism permits.
The islands' growing tourism has lured thousands of workers' from the poor mainland to work in construction, restaurants and cruise ships. Some bring non-native species such as goat who compete for food with centenarian tortoises.
"This is a good thing because it will highlight the islands' problems," said Linda Cayot, a science advisor with Galapagos Conservancy. "It will push not only Ecuador, but conservationist groups to support work there."
- REUTERS
