Monorail for the Galapagos Islands?
Two of Britain’s best known naturalists are reported to be at loggerheads over a proposal to build a monorail to link the islands that make up the Galapagos archipelago.
According to The Independent newspaper, Professor David Bellamy, president of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, has proposed building a monorail “as a means of rescuing the islands from financial difficulties while preserving the ecological heritage of the site”.
But the idea has been rubbished by none other than Sir David Attenborough, the TV film maker, who claims that such a plan would eventually destroy the islands.
Even though tourism on the islands is controlled very strictly, with numbers restricted to 85,000 each year, the conservation trust is concerned over the future of the islands.
Bellamy reportedly told the Radio 4 Today programme: “They are getting 85,000 tourists through there but they are strapped for cash. I do actually think a skyrail put in the right place, where the walkers wouldn’t see it, would put in a lot of money and solve the problem.”
Sir David reportedly countered: “The reason the islands are so wonderful is because of the primal nature and you see it first hand, not sitting on a bench whizzing past on a monorail.”
The Galapagos Conservation Trust appeared to distance itself from Bellamy’s comments, telling The Independent that he had spoken in “a personal capacity”.
The president, Leonor Stjepic, is quoted as saying: “The Galapagos Islands are not just a pretty place for tourists to visit. It’s a place of great historical importance and innovative scientific research.”
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
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