Ngabe iGalapagos izoba yi-Ibiza yasePacific?

Kuliwa nesenzo esishubile sokuvikela i-Galapagos - indawo eyaziwa kakhulu yezilwane zasendle emhlabeni - ukuthi ilinyazwe intuthuko. Kuye kwavela amahhotela, ama-disco, namalokishi amasha eziqhingini eziningana, futhi inani labantu liye laphindeka kabili eminyakeni eyi-10. Ihlane laseDarwin elihlanzekile manje seliyikhaya laphakade labantu abangu-30,000, kanye nezivakashi ezingu-173,000 unyaka ngamunye.

Nakuba amaphesenti angu-97 eziqhingi akha indawo yokulondoloza imvelo lapho intuthuko ivinjelwe khona, amadolobha angaphandle kwaleli paki asegcwele amakhowe. Sebephenduke iMecca kubantu abasha base-Ecuador abafika bevela ezweni lonke ngamathikithi endiza ashibhile. Isidingo sabo sama-disco namabhishi singaguqula izingxenye zeqoqo leziqhingi zibe i-Ibiza esempumalanga yePacific. Iziqhingi, eziqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-600 ukusuka ezwenikazi, zibhekene nezinkinga eziningana ngesikhathi esisodwa. Kunenqwaba yezivakashi, eseziphindeke kane kusukela ngo-1990 futhi ziphindeke ngaphezu kokuphindwe kabili kusukela ngo-2005. Kukhona ukungcoliswa kwemvelo kanye nokwethulwa kwezitshalo nezilwane ezihlaselayo njengezimbuzi, amagundane, izinja nezinkomo.

Ucwaningo olwenziwa yi-Charles Darwin Foundation, inhlangano yocwaningo esekelwe ku-Santa Cruz, okuyindawo enabantu abaningi kakhulu eziqhingini, luphakamisa ukuthi amaphesenti angu-60 ezinhlobo zezitshalo ezingu-168 ezisengozini. Izimbuzi ze-Feral bezilokhu zikhanda ikhanda elikhulu, izinhlobo zezitshalo ezethulwe (748) manje zidlula lezo zendabuko (cishe 500). Zingaphezu kwama-500 izinambuzane okungezona ezomdabu esezingenisiwe, ikakhulukazi ngokungaqondile. Enye, impukane eyisinambuzane, ihlasela izintaka zodumo zika-Darwin, ngokusho kwe-Galapagos Conservation Trust ezinze e-UK.

Ezinye izinhlobo ezihlaselayo zilethwa ngezikebhe zezivakashi kanye nemikhumbi yezimpahla ehambisa ukudla kanye nophethiloli kubantu abakhulayo. Umbiko wakamuva mayelana ne-Galapagos wamaqembu ekongiwa kwemvelo uthi le mikhumbi ayivamisile ukuphatha amanzi akhishelwe olwandle. Kule nyanga iphephabhuku lesayensi i-Global Change Biology liveze ukuthi, kwezingu-43 zezilwane zasolwandle zaseGalapagos ezisongelwa, kungenzeka ukuthi eyodwa kweziyisihlanu isingasekho.

Ngaphezu kwakho konke, lezi ziqhingi zilwela ukubhekana nokucindezela kwabantu abavela ezwenikazi ababona indawo yasePacific yezwe labo njengezwe elisha elinesibindi. Lapha, bangathola imisebenzi okunzima ukuyithola e-Ecuador futhi eheha amaholo aphezulu kunasekhaya. Abasebenzi bezokwakha, ngokwesibonelo, bahola u- $1,200 (£750) ngenyanga e-Galapagos, kodwa kuphela ama- $500 e-Ecuador. Kuze kube sekuqaleni kwawo-1970, izakhamuzi zazibalelwa ku-4,000. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, inani labantu liye landa ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingaphezu kwesikhombisa, nakuba i-Ecuador muva nje “ibuyisele” izakhamuzi eziyi-1,000 XNUMX ezweni lonke.

Amadolobhana amancane athuthukile aba amadolobha anomsindo. Cishe izakhamuzi ze-20,000 zihlala ePuerto Ayora eSanta Cruz. Lapha, izivakashi zithola izindawo zokudlela eziningi, izitolo, amabha kanye nama-nightclub - iningi lakho ku-Charles Darwin Avenue. Amahhotela namahostela nawo maningi.

Iziqhingi ezihlala abantu sezivele ziyabubula ngaphansi kwengqalasizinda edonsa kanzima ehlanganisa izikole ezingama-29 nezikhumulo zezindiza ezintathu. Izindiza zezentengiselwano eziya e-Galapagos zenyuka ngamaphesenti angu-193 phakathi kuka-2001 no-2006. Inani lezimoto e-Santa Cruz iyodwa lenyuke lisuka ku-28 ngo-1980 laya ku-1,276 ngo-2006. I-Charles Darwin Foundation ilinganisela ukuthi izinyoni ezingu-9,000 ziye zabulawa emgwaqeni omkhulu unyaka ngamunye. phakathi kuka-2004 no-2006.

Lezi zingcindezi ziye zaqashelwa. Ngo-2007, i-Unesco, inhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene elawula izindawo zamagugu omhlaba, yabeka iziqhingi ohlwini lwayo olusengozini, igcizelela isimo esibucayi. NgoSuku LwaseGalapagos ngoSepthemba walo nyaka, uSir David Attenborough waxwayisa ngokuthi base besesimweni esibucayi: “Ngenxa yemiphumela yokungenela komuntu, izinhlobo eziningi zezinto eziphilayo manje zisengozini yokuqothulwa.” Wathi ngaphandle kokuthatha isinyathelo ngokushesha le “ngcebo engokwemvelo iyolahleka phakade.”

Kodwa, ngaphansi kukahulumeni omusha wase-Ecuador, amaGalapagos abelokhu elwa nokucekelwa phansi. E-Quito, inhloko-dolobha yase-Ecuador, uMongameli uRafael Correa uzama ukwenza okuthile mayelana nezinsongo eziqhingini. "Into yokuqala engiyenzile ngesikhathi ngingena esikhundleni ngoJanuwari 2007 kwakuwukuvala imiqhudelwano kubantu abazokwakha eGalapagos," etshela i-Independent on Sunday muva nje.

UMnu Correa ufuna ukwenza iqiniso ngokuvikelwa okunikezwe iqoqo leziqhingi kanye nezitshalo nezilwane ezimangalisayo lapho limenyezelwa njengepaki kazwelonke eminyakeni engama-50 edlule. Uthi uyaziqhenya ngokuthi uye waphusha umthethosisekelo wokuqala emhlabeni obeka imvelo endaweni ephezulu. Isihloko sayo sokuqala siyamemezela: “Imvelo noma iPachamama, lapho ukuphila kuqalwa khona, inelungelo lokuba khona, ihlale futhi ivuselele imijikelezo yayo yokuphila, ukwakheka kwayo, imisebenzi nezinqubo zokuziphendukela kwemvelo.” Uhlelo olunamandla luye lwaqeda izimbuzi, izimbongolo nezingulube ezingu-64,000 e-Isabela Island, ngokusho kweGalapagos Conservation Trust. Ezinye izinhlobo zezilwane ezisengozini seziqala ukululama.

Ngokuphathelene neziqhingi eziyinhloko ezingu-20, abantu base-Ecuador bazama ukugcina ukungcola ngaphansi kokulawulwa okuqinile futhi banciphise uphethiloli ongenisiwe ohlinzeka ngamandla amaningi nokuhamba eziqhingini. “Ngikulangazelela kakhulu ukukhuthaza ukuphehlwa kukagesi eGalapagos ngamandla omoya,” kusho uMarcela Aguinaga, ungqongqoshe wezemvelo wase-Ecuador. “Kodwa akuhambi kahle. Kufanele uzame ukuvimbela izinyoni ukuthi zindize ezimpahleni zamapayipi omoya. Futhi lowo akuwona umsebenzi olula.”

Ngokwezinga elithile, ezokuvakasha zilawulwa izindleko eziphakeme zokufika eziqhingini nokuhlala kuzo, kuhlanganiswe nentela engu-$110 ekhokhiswa abavakashi bangaphandle. I-Unesco icele i-Ecuador ukuthi ibambe indawo yokuhlala entsha emadolobheni akulezi ziqhingi. Abanikazi bamahhotela nezindlu okuhlalwa kuzo, nokho, bayaphikisana nemikhawulo yezinombolo zezivakashi.

Kuqikelelwa kakhulu izimfudu ezinkulu ezinamagobolondo abuswayo akhumbuza abantu baseSpain ngamahhashi (ama-galapago) agqokwa abagibeli. Kwesinye sezenzo ezibhekwe kakhulu emhlabeni ngaphandle kwase-Las Vegas, izimfudu ezimbili zesifazane ezinkulu, eziqanjwe ngokungafanele ngokuthi i-Female 106 kanye ne-107, ziphinde zabekela amaqanda ngonyaka odlule, eziyisithupha neziyisihlanu ngokulandelana kwazo, ziqondiswa abasebenzi be-Giant Tortoise Reproductive and Nurture Centre e-Santa. Cruz. Kwakusengozini ukusinda kohlobo oluthile.

U-Female 106 ubengumngane kaSolitario Jorge (Lonely George) iminyaka engu-16. Amaqanda akhe amane agcinwe ku-29.5C ukukhuthaza, uma evundisiwe, ukuvela kwabesifazane: amanye amabili agcinwa ku-28C ngethemba lokuthi azoba abesilisa. Owesifazane ongu-107 wayenobudlelwano obufushane noSolitario Jorge. Akekho kwabangu-11 ofakazelwe ukuthi uvundisiwe.

USolitario Jorge kucatshangwa ukuthi uyilungu lokugcina elisele ohlwini lwakhe, uGeochelone abingdoni. Njengoba ephakathi kweminyaka engu-60 nengu-90 ubudala, futhi kanjalo esesesezingeni eliphezulu, ngokusobala unamandla okuzala. Ithemba lihlala phakade lokuthi ufuzo lwakhe luzodluliselwa maduze.

Kwezinye izingxenye ze-Ecuador umsebenzi wokulungisa ufike sekwephuze kakhulu. Ngaphambilini imibuso yezempi yavumela izinkampani zikawoyela zaseMelika ukuba zonakalise amahlathi ase-Amazonia ngokumba kwazo. Manje uMongameli uCorrea uphusha umqondo wokuthola amazwe asethuthukile ukuthi anxephezele i-Ecuador ngokulahleka kwemali engenayo - yithi ama-euro angama-350ma ngonyaka - uma igcina uwoyela wayo ongahluziwe uphansi. IJalimane ibonakala isithanda isivumelwano esinjalo sezemvelo. Kepha, maqondana nomhlaba wonke, kuzoba ngokuthola kukaMnu Correa iGalapagos lapho azokwahlulelwa khona.