Island in jeopardy

The ecological balance of the islands of Galapagos is being threatened by population growth, 'invader' species and commercial fishing. According to an analysis by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the most serious problems are created by mammals like goats, pigs, rats and cats. Rats, introduced unintentionally by way of ships, eat the eggs of birds and reptiles that have lived without natural predators for hundreds of thousands of years. The WWF has recommended a ban on all commercial fishing and the designation of waters around the islands as protected area. It has also called for the creation of a system of inspection and quarantine to control the number of species introduced.