Urgent Message from Captain Paul Watson!!

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is calling for a tourist boycott in
the Galapagos Islands until Galapagos National Park Director Edwin Nuala is
reinstated.

The president of Ecuador, Lucio Gutierrez, has removed Director Nuala, a
professional biologist and dedicated defender of the park, and replaced him
with a pro-fishing, pro-development, anti-conservationist named Fausto
Cepeda.

This move will bring to an end the dedicated work by the National Park to
protect the Galapagos National Park Marine Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, from illegal fishing activities. In short, the marine life of the
Galapagos will be devastated if this appointment stands.

Edwin Nuala must be reinstated. The president of Ecuador is bowing to
political pressure from fishermen, many of whom have just recently moved to
the Galapagos after the crash of the fishing industry on the mainland.

The tourist industry actually brings far more money into the Galapagos
economy than fishing. The tourist industry has been very silent about what
is happening in the Park. The government of Ecuador must be aware that they
can't kill the goose that lays the golden egg and that the fishermen will be
the decline of tourism in the future.

The impact of the decline in tourism must be felt and appreciated now before
it is too late. Therefore, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is urging
people around the world not to visit the Galapagos until Director Edwin
Nuala is reinstated.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is also urging people to write, fax,
call or email the president of Ecuador with a strong message of support for
the Galapagos National Park Director Edwin Nuala. He must be reinstated and
the fight to protect the Galapagos from corruption, illegal exploitation and
mob violence by fisherman must continue.

National Park Rangers are now on strike in support of Edwin Nuala. All of
us who care about the preservation of these profoundly unique islands must
support the rangers and Director Edwin Nuala.

Since 2000, the SSCS, working with the National Park, has intercepted and
arrested dozens of illegal fishing vessels and seized thousand of shark fins
in illegal catches.

The appointment of this pro-fishing anti-conservation director will put an
end to our program of cooperation and our fast patrol vessel will be unable
to support conservation efforts in the Galapagos in the future.

The Galapagos National Park has seen crisis after crisis - each more violent
and threatening than the last. This present crisis is the most serious to
date. It will mark the first time that the political appointment of a
National Park Director has been authorized and the first time that the
President of Ecuador has directly intervened to shut down conservation in
the National Park.

Sea Shepherd urges you to contact these officials and express your support
of Edwin Nuala:

Presidente Lucio Gutiérrez
Palacio de Gobierno
Garcia Moreno 1043
Quito, Ecuador
Fax: (593 2) 580-735
Email: monica.iza@presidencia.gov.ec

Fabián Valdivieso Eguiguren
Minister of the Environment
Avenue Eloy Alfaro and Amazon
Quito, Ecuador
Telephone(s): (593 2) 2563429 or 2563430
Email: mma@ambiente.gov.ec

Gladys Eljuri De Alvarez
Minister of Tourism of Ecuador
Eloy Alfaro N32-300 Carlos Tobar
Quito, Ecuador
Telephone(s): (593 2) 2507559 or 2507560 or 2228304 or 2228305
Fax: (593 2) 2229330
Email: ministra@turismo.gov.ec

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Sea Shepherd Conservation Society welcomes your support.
To learn how to support our conservation work,
please visit us at www.seashepherd.org/donate.shtml

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
P.O. Box 2616
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 (USA)
Tel: 360-370-5650 Fax: 360-370-5651