The UN has withdrawn the Galápagos Islands from its world heritage danger list, citing improved efforts by Ecuador to protect the archipelago's unique biodiversity.
The world heritage committee of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) voted 15 to four to remove the islands from the list of sites endangered by environmental threats or overuse.
"It's important to recognize the effort made by the Ecuadorean government to preserve this heritage," said Luiz Fernando de Almeida, head of the Brazilian delegation, which proposed the motion at the meeting in Brasilia.
Ecuador's government will welcome the decision, which reversed UNESCO's listing in 2007, but some conservationists expressed alarm.
President Rafael Correa's administration had tackled serious problems in the archipelago but it was too soon to declare victory, said Johannah Barry, head of Galápagos Conservancy, a Virginia-based research group.
"The growing human presence in Galápagos, both through tourism and residents, has put biodiversity at risk. Introduction of disease, alien and invasive plants and animals are all factors which must be addressed immediately and aggressively. I believe the decision is premature and I hope it does not signal a relaxation of vigilant management and conservation efforts."
The chain of volcanic islands 600 miles off Ecuador's Pacific coast are home to endogenous species, such as giant tortoises (right) and boobies (below left - blue-footed booby), which helped inspire Charles Darwin's theories on evolution and natural selection.
A permanent human population which doubled to about 30,000 in the past decade, swollen by more than 190,000 tourists annually, triggered concern about pollution, fuel spills and poaching.
Human settlers have also brought invasive species such as insects, cats, rats, cattle and fire ants threatening a habitat which evolved in isolation over millennia.
Ecuador's government has tried to balance conservation and tourism with the demands of residents and migrant workers from mainland South America. Authorities have tried to cap the number of new arrivals and deported illegal migrants. Nevertheless rubbish dumps and new housing developments continue to sprout on some islands.
A UNESCO team recently inspected the archipelago. The panel listened to Ecuador's environment minister, Marcela Aguinaga, before voting. She said controls on migration and the introduction of invasive species had been tightened. (Below right: frigate bird of Galapagos)
The same meeting added Uganda's tombs of Buganda kings at Kasubi (Uganda) to the list of endangered sites. Unesco's complete and amended list of heritage sites was published July 29th, 2010.
The list allows the UN to allocate immediate assistance to sites from the World Heritage fund and puts pressure on local authorities to act.
The Guardian, "UN withdraws Galápagos from world heritage danger list", accessed August 4, 2010