The question that I was assigned for Monday is to find out what the introduced species are on San Cristobal, how they are affecting the natural life there,
 and what can be done to control the introduced species. 

 Introduced Species on San Cristobal include:
     PIGS: Pigs threaten, trample, and otherwise threaten the eggs of the Giant Tortoises and Sea
           Turtles in the Galapagos.
     DOVES:Doves are a threat to other birds, in that they carry many diseases and spread them to 
           other birds on the islands, especially Darwin Finches, which are endangered on San
           Cristobal.
     RATS: Rats, similar to Doves, also carry diseases and spread them to other creatures on the
           islands. Along with transmitting disease, rats also eat the eggs of birds and tortoises,
           and eat tortoise hatchlings.
     CATS: Cats feed on birds, lava lizards, and marine iguanas.
     FIRE ANTS: Fire ants are a threat to native and endemic birds, plants and other insects.
     THE BLACK FLY: Black flys are blood-feeding insects, and therefore transmit many animal 
           pathogens as they carry diseases from one animal to the next through their bites.
           Black flys have also caused serious problems with sanitation throughout the Galapagos,
           mostly as a result of their ability to easily transmit disease. However, black flys need
           freshwater to resproduce, so one possible method for controlling them could be to somehow
           limit their access to freshwater. However, San Cristobal is the one island in the Galapagos           
           with a large, natural body of freshwater, which could encourage the growth of the black
           fly if not controlled.  
     QUININE: Quinine is a type of tree that was introduced to the Galapagos, and now makes up some
          outwardly beautiful lush forests. However, quinine is also in the process of destroying much of
          the ancestral vegetation found in the Galapagos.
    
      All of these invasive, introduced species have been intodroced either voluntarily or involuntarily by humans,
      and are now threatening the biodiversity of San Cristobal, and the rest of the Galapagos.Currently, the Charles
      Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Service, with support from United Nations Foundation, are
      implementing The Project for the  Control and Eradication of Invasive Species. 
      The Project is a four year plan with the goal of both controlling and eradicating invasive
      species found on the islands. The Project works to eradicate specific introduced species, and
      to strengthen the numbers of the native Galapagos species that have been menaced by the invasive
      creatures. The plan also suggests the possbility of creating an effective quarantine for the
      islands to keep invasive species from spreading from one island to the next.

All above  info from the Charles Darwin Foundation, www.darwinfoundation.org.
   Updated 10/17/04

   Economy:
      The economy of San Cristobal, similar to the rest of the Galapagos, is largely driven by the tourism and
 fishing industries. Unfortunately, a large part of the fishing industry is comprised of illegal harvesting of 
sea cucumbers.

     Many people are moving to the Galapagos with the intention of joining the lucrative market of illegal sea
cucumber harvesting.
     In 1999, the fishery of sea cucumbers yielded a catch worth $34 million, which averages out to about $2,520
per fisherman in a country where the GDP per head is $1,100.
     With so many new fishermen moving to the Galapagos, the allowed quotas for the amount of fish,
lobster, etc. that can be caught are being filled much more quickly, resulting in less profit for all fishermen.
Consequently, the fishermen want the quotas raised, but the conservationists are against increasing the amount
of marine life that can be hunted, resulting in violent protests from the fishermen in the form of death threats,
hostages, and the burning of research stations. The administration is trying hard to balance the needs of the
fishermen with the conservation of the wildlife, but a successful compromise of the two is hard to create.
   Anonymous." Science and Technology: Fishermen's Friend?" The Economist. London: Nov 25, 2000. Vol 357, Iss. 8198, pg.102, 1pgs.

    Although tourism is a large part of the Galapagos economy, the native peoples of the Galapagos are largely
excluded from the trade, as the tourism industry is mostly dominated by foreign companies. Further, Galapagos 
natives are able to use only around 4% of the islands' territory in order to earn a living. Therefore, it is little 
wonder that so many are driven to the illegal fishing market. 
   "No ecomonmy can be ecologically sustainable unless it provides for teh livelihoods of local human communities
that are part of the local ecology." 
    Platt, Anne. "It's About More Than Sea Cucumbers." World Watch. Washington: May 1995. Vol.8; Iss. 3, pg. 2.

    -The Galapagos draw over 60,000 tourists a year
    -Tourism is Ecuador's 4th largest dollar earner
    -The Galapagos population has been rising by about 6% a year, putting a strain on the 97% of the islands' land
     that is protected
    -Most of the profits from tourism go to foreign companies, the native people of the Galapagos would like to see    
     the money stay on the islands and be put towards paying for piped water, sewers, clinics and schools
Anonymous. "Too Many People." The Economist. London: May 10, 1997, Iss. 8016; pg 44, 1pgs.