Galapagos invasive species:
Biosecurity

SESA cares for Galapagos: SICGAL activities in 2004

• There are 32 quarantine inspectors working in the five inspection points: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Isabela islands, and on the continent, Quito and Guayaquil.

• From January to November, there were 1500 seizures, of which most were of prohibited produce. From the continent, the commonest produce seized was fresh cheese, and between islands, fruit. One failed smuggling attempt was the seizure of fertilized eggs disguised as maize cobs - also prohibited items! Six percent of the seizures were of pest infested produce.

• In addition, some live animals were intercepted: 4 dogs, 1 cat, 8 cockerels and 6 chickens; all were confiscated and humanely destroyed. One of the dogs was a puppy hidden beneath the hat of a passenger, four of the cockerels were brought from the continent hidden in a shoe box, and one dog was disembarked disguised in a National Mail bag.

• This year, we have inspected passengers, equipment, baggage and cargo coming from the continent to the islands, and between islands, prioritising the internal quarantine to avoid the spread of invasive species between islands.

• This year we have achieved our new infrastructure, such as the SESA-Galapagos headquarters building in Santa Cruz, the inspection filters on the wharfs of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela, and Caraguay dock in Guayaquil.

• All the inspectors have received training, in topics related to inspection, quarantine, monitoring, communication and education activities.

• SESA-SICGAL recieved help from over 10 national and international volunteers, nationally from the Military Higher Polytechnic School (ESPE) and the Catholic University, and internationally from countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, United States, New Zealand and Germany, among others.

• SESA staff have also participated in international training events on plant health quarantine in the Andean community, and in an exchange visit to New Zealand and Samoa.

• A big achievement was the publication in the Official Register, of the list of permitted and prohibited products for entry to, and movement within, Galapagos

Source: Ecuadorian Agricultural Health Service in Galapagos (SESA Galapagos).