A Blueprint for Marine Spatial Planning of Ecuador’s Exclusive Economic Zone around the Galápagos Marine Reserve

The goal of this report is to provide Ecuador with a blueprint for spatial management and conservation of the open waters in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surrounding the unique Galapagos Archipelago and Marine Reserve. It responds to concerns expressed by the  local community, the national government and biologists, about the effectiveness of the current marine reserve in the face of emerging threats of the 21st century. The information compiled and analyzed in this document was shared with authorities and stakeholders from early 2020 to late 2021, and as technical support for the grassroots Más Galápagos campaign, which called for an increase in spatial protection around Galapagos. This culminated in the announcement of the new “Hermandad1” Reserve during the COP meeting in 2021, which was  then declared in January 2022 at a ceremony in Galapagos.