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A pledge made at last year's UN climate summit, COP26, has just been put into action. Ecuador has created a huge new marine reserve around its Galapagos islands, forming an ocean corridor towards Costa Rica. It's a rich and sensitive region, particularly for migratory species but has suffered from some of the damage that modern, industrial, ill-regulated fishing can wreak on an eco-system. Conservationists hope that its expansion will protect the migration routes of endangered species such as the whale shark and make the reserve more resilient to climate change.

Gustavo Manrique, Ecuador's minister for the environment, says that the reserve has been created in partnership with Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. He says the area is known for the richness of its flora and fauna and will be protected by technology such as the 'dark vessel detection' and AIS systems, as well as the army and navy, to curb illegal fishing in the area.

"We are creating the first international marine reserve connected between four countries."

Photo: A Galapagos sea turtle swims in Champion Islet, off the Galapagos Islands Credit: Getty Images

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