President Rafael Correa visited the Galapagos with his newly minted cabinet to discuss the future of the islands. Besides being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, national park and marine reserve, the archipelago is a province of Ecuador with a local population of more than 25,000 people.
During the visit he announced the islands would have a new chief Counsel of Government: María Isabel Salvador, formerly Ecuadors ambassador to the Organization of American States. He also said her new title would enable her to coordinate with Ecuador’s ministries, and would be equivalent to being a minister.
Among her responsibilities will be to transition Galapagueños off of their current reliance on electric energy generated by fossil fuels.
Correa suggested that instead, Galapagos should look at building wind farms. The islands are home to 45 native bird species that are endemic (exist only there). Hundreds of thousands of seabirds live or pass through the islands.