Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands are an eco-tourist’s paradise, teaming with so much biodiversity that Charles Darwin used the island’s species as the inspiration for his 1835 “Theory of Evolution.”

In 1961, the Ecuadorian government declared the islands a National Park and limited the amount of people who can live on them.

Over time, however, human settlement and tourism has upset the balance in this fragile ecosystem. Invasive species have also been a problem as animals such as cats, rats, dogs, goats and pigs have all multiplied exponentially on the islands over the years.

Hugo Arnal, director of the World Wildlife Fund in Ecuador, spoke with Americas Now about the future of the islands.

Galapagos Islands maintains fragile ecosystem

Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands are an eco-tourist’s paradise, teaming with so much biodiversity that Charles Darwin used the island’s species as the inspiration for his 1835 “Theory of Evolution.” Hugo Arnal, director of the World Wildlife Fund in Ecuador, spoke with Americas Now about the future of the islands.