New Galápagos Sanctuary Has World’s Highest Abundance of Sharks
An abundance of marine wildlife receives protection from fishing by the government of Ecuador.
A new sanctuary now protects the unique marine life around the Galápagos Islands, including the highest abundance of sharks known in the world.
Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, announced creation of the marine sanctuary Monday, together with 21 smaller conservation areas scattered through the volcanic archipelago, protecting over 18,000 square miles (47,000 square kilometers), or about one third of the water around the Galápagos Islands (which Ecuador administers). The new sanctuary alone encompasses 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers) and extends around the northern Galápagos islands of Darwin and Wolf.
A World Heritage Site because of their unique biodiversity and inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, the Galápagos Islands already had 97 percent of their landmass protected as a national park. However, less
