Updating the Zoning of the Galápagos Marine Reserve as a Tool for Sustainable Management and Shark Conservation

Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco (FCJ) and the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), in close coordination with the Galápagos National Park Directorate and with the support of Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, are leading efforts to develop and implement a new zoning plan for Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR), one of the largest and most biologically significant marine protected areas in the world. The current zoning of the GMR was approved in 2016.

However, a lack of community engagement led to opposition from the artisanal fishing sector that has prevented the plan from being enforced. The new zoning plan will be developed through an in-depth participatory process, addressing long-standing tensions with the artisanal fishing sector. It will be grounded in the most up-to-date science and data. The final outcome, a ministerial agreement for the new zoning, will be legally enforceable and widely accepted.