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To: Annette who wrote (2914)	2/7/2000 10:07:00 AM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 35685

<<OT--- the Galapagos Islands >> Annette: Preserving the islands is a priority for Ecuador.....the islands are a national park and the government only allows a certain number of visitors to the islands (with guides). There is only one daily flight to two of the major islands -- that's it. All foreigners are charged a $100 fee upon entry -- this is used by the national park service for education and preservation efforts. Yet, Ecuador does not have the resources that a major westernized nation has. I learned that the Japanese are jeopardizing the fragile Galapagos ecosystem. They illegally fish for Shark in the Galapagos waters. I guess a Japanese delicacy is shark fin soup. Yet, the sharks are at the top of the food chain and some species are becoming endangered. The Ecuadorians need a partner (like the US) with deep pockets to help them effectively patrol the national park area around the Galapagos. This is one place where I wish the US would carefully intervene and provide appropriate assistance. We can apply more pressure on the Japanese than the Ecuadorians can. Unfortunately Ecuador is facing a very difficult economic problem and their resources are drained (and the old currency is worth a lot less than it used to be). In fact the new Ecuadorian President is trying to dollarize the local currency --the Sucre (this will be a rough transition for the locals). Oh well, enough about Ecuador....I must sign off... Have a great day. Regards, Scott