Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)

FADs are a human-made object used to attract fish. They are used by both foreign fleets and Ecuadorian tuna boats to lure fish outside of the Galapagos Marine Reserve so that they can then be caught.

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International, industrial fishing fleets and expansion of Ecuador’s protected areas – a summary

Since being reported in the news in July 2020, the international, industrial fishing fleet on the edge of the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) has received global attention. Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) is following the situation closely as this fishing fleet has the possibility to devastate the GMR’s unique marine biodiversity.

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Losing Hope

After eight months, Hope the whale shark's GPS tag has stopped pinging, leading to worries of her whereabouts after heading to an area of high fishing near the Galapagos Islands.

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Galapagos embraces state-of-the-art shark monitoring technology

By Alice Marks & Verity Ramsay The Galapagos Islands are home to an astounding array of species. The surrounding waters…

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The Galapagos Marine Reserve turns 20

Guest blog by Alix Zelly The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) has drawn adventurers, divers and researchers alike into its mesmerising…

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Galapagos Whale Shark Project update

The first ultrasound images of wild whale sharks have been captured. Written by GCT volunteer Avani Gupta. There are many…

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Ecuadorian boat caught in Galapagos Marine Reserve with sharks on board: UPDATE

In November 2017, we wrote a blog about the successful prosecution of the crew of a Chinese fishing vessel found in…

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Illegal shark fishing boat crew prosecuted

In mid-August 2017, a Chinese fishing vessel Fu Yuan Leng 999 was intercepted in the Galapagos Marine Reserve by Galapagos…

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Whale sharks using thermal gradients to find food sources

Background In spite of being the world’s largest extant fish species and occurring in all warm, temperate seas (apart from…

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