On October 3, the first application of baits to eradicate invasive rodents will begin, within the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project, which also seeks to eradicate feral cats from the ecosystem of this island, to make way for the gradual process of reintroduction of at least twelve of the thirteen locally extinct endemic species. This project is the largest executed in the archipelago and has required twelve years of operational planning.

The methodology consists of the homogeneous dispersion of baits using two helicopters that cover predetermined transects, at low altitude, and that disperse the control product with precision. The first application of baits will take 10 days and will cover 100% of the 17 thousand hectare Floreana Island. There are three planned applications to achieve the effectiveness of the process.

During almost twelve years of planning, we have worked directly with the community of Floreana, made up of 160 inhabitants, who have participated in the construction of the project. To strengthen agricultural activities, 7 stables, 9 pigpens and 16 chicken coops were built, which will be used to manage production animals; in addition, 15 warehouses were adapted for storing food to provide for the animals during the three months that they will be confined due to the application of the bait. The National Environmental Authority, as a preventive measure, has been implementing the mitigation plan to protect 5 species of finches and the short-eared owl, endemic to the Galapagos.

This project includes the implementation of eight management plans for risk mitigation, which have been worked on with the community. This includes the protection of freshwater sources, which will have special management and during the application process a desalination plant will be used to supply the population; and the management of pets, for which spaces have been built within urban premises to protect domestic dogs and cats.

"The Floreana ecological restoration project represents the most important challenge in the history of the Galapagos National Park. Its success symbolizes a global conservation milestone that exemplifies the synergy between conservation and sustainable development, an inspiring model for other protected areas around the world," said the Minister of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, José Antonio Dávalos.

The application of the control product is scheduled until mid-December 2023, so the reintroduction of the first locally extinct species is planned for January 2024: the giant tortoise. "Later, as the ecosystem recovers, the other eleven species that the project has identified for reintroduction will be released: Floreana snake, witchbird, gray songfinch, large ground finch, vegetarian finch, sharp-billed finch, barn owl, pachay, Floreana mockingbird, lava gull and Galapagos hawk, in a process that will take at least seven years," said Danny Rueda Córdova, director of the Galapagos National Park.

For his part, Eliécer Cruz, director of the Galapagos Program of the Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, the organization executing the project, said that "as we approach the beginning of this very important phase of the Floreana Project, we realize that without the community we will not achieve the ecological restoration of this island and this project will be a great example of achieving a win-win between the community and conservation."

"Every action has a reaction, and it is a proven fact that removing invasive species from islands clears the way for ecosystem recovery. Our ambition is for Floreana Island to not only recover, but for the community, wildlife and immediate marine environment to thrive as a result of a holistic intervention. As the restoration project moves from imagination to implementation, we are excited to demonstrate what can be achieved when a community commits to the well-being of their island," said Chad Hanson, Vice President of Island Conservation.

The Floreana Ecological Restoration Project is an effort led by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition through the Galapagos National Park Directorate and the Agency for Regulation and Control of Biosecurity and Quarantine for Galapagos, carried out together with the Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, with the technical assistance of Island Conservation and the support of multiple public and private organizations such as the Floreana Parish Council, the Municipality of San Cristóbal, the Galapagos Government Council, the Ministry of Agriculture, among others.

About Floreana
Floreana was one of the first islands in the archipelago to be colonized. The first records of human settlements date back to 1832. Colonization brought with it the presence of exotic species.