UNESCO'S chief called on Ecuadoreans to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation on the Galapagos Islands, calling it "crucial" to save unique species from human intrusion.
"Which one is more important is a crucial question for Ecuador and its people," Koichiro Matsuura told a news conference Wednesday in Quito. "You have to ask yourselves what your priorities are."
Matsuura said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will monitor efforts to contain threats such as human settlements, the introduction of nonnative species and tourism. The archipelago — where Charles Darwin's observations of the islands' finches inspired his theory of evolution — is Ecuador's top tourist attraction.
President Rafael Correa last month proposed to restrict visitors, limit residency permits and reduce flights to the islands. Last year, the government announced plans to evict some 5,000 Ecuadoreans illegally living in the Galapagos. About 15,000 more live there legally, many working in fishing or tourism.
Some 625 miles (1,000 kilometers) off Ecuador's Pacific coast, the Galapagos Islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for their unique plant and animal life including giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies
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