Conservation policy expert Max Bello joins Sylvia and Liz to talk about the current threats to this beloved UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, has been a protected national park since 1959, although the archipelago’s significance goes back to 1835 when Charles Darwin visited and was inspired to formulate parts of his theory of evolution by what he discovered there.

Today, 97% of the land is currently protected, but only 3% of the surrounding ocean, which critically supports the island ecosystem.
There are currently 340 Chinese vessels fishing at the edge of its Exclusive Economic Zone, overharvesting sea life, including endangered species, and threatening the very foundations of the region’s natural systems.

This special edition of Dive In with conservation expert Max Bello will dig into the details of the threat, and what organizations like Ocean Elders and Mission Blue are doing to defend this fragile archipelago and its ocean life. They will discuss what you can do to support efforts to increase the protections necessary to allow this area’s species – both land and sea – to recover and thrive.

Max Bello is an international policy expert with decades of experience and serves as an advisor to Mission Blue on global ocean policies, particularly those in Latin America. Join Dr. Sylvia Earle, her daughter Liz Taylor, and Max Bello for this informative and critical conversation on how we as a community can take action.

Details

Thursday, 17 September 2020 at 6 pm EST

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The post Dive In with Sylvia and Liz: Galapagos Threatened by Chinese Fishing Fleet appeared first on The Scuba News.

Read More Environmental News, Chinese Fishing Vessels, Dr Sylvia Earle, Endangered Species, Galápagos Islands, Liz Taylor, Max Bello, Mission Blue, Sea Life The Scuba News