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'Let's learn from the Galapagos, says Jack Greenwood

by Heidi Bevington-Jack Greenwood of Queen Charlotte wants to model islands tourism after the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.
"My idea is to take a group down in November, which is the best month down there, for a two week tour," says Mr. Greenwood. "The main purpose would be to enjoy yourself, but also to create a 'white paper' to take ideas from the Galapagos and apply them here."
The group would meet tourism officials in the capital city of Quito, and then spend some time touring the Galapagos. Each evening, the group would meet to exchange ideas about how tourism practices there could be used on the islands.
Mr. Greenwood has visited the Galapagos several times, and he's very impressed with the way the Ecuadorians manage tourism to those islands.
"Visitors mostly stay on boats, and you're not allowed to get off on the islands without a guide - a first class person who's knowledgeable about the islands," says Mr. Greenwood. The Galapagos guides keep guests from coming to harm and keep them from harming the island environment, he says. The boats travel from island to island so people can see everything.
Mr. Greenwood has contacted Masset Travel, and they are just in the early stages of putting a tour package together. Then he intends to contact every society and organization on the islands to see if they want to send a representative on the trip. If 20-40 people commit to taking the trip, then the price per person would be quite reasonable, says Mr. Greenwood.
"I would like to see the people get together. I've watched for 45 years and we're all very dysfunctional," says Mr. Greenwood. "We've killed about everything we can. I like deer and bears and everything we've been shooting. Let's do what the Galapagos Islands people did and save it forever."
Sport fishing practices are an especial concern to Mr. Greenwood.
The government has "allowed fishing resorts all over the islands, especially on the west and north coasts. There are about 15. Almost all owned by offshore people. They're full, and these people fly into Masset or Sandspit and then fly right out again. From what I'm told there are about 40,000 people [who visit the fishing resorts] and they don't even know where they are," says Mr. Greenwood.
"They're damaging the spring salmon fishery and the islands are getting nothing. The staff is hired mostly off island. The money that stays on the islands you could put in a teacup," he says.
On the Galapagos Islands, every visitor must pay $100 US, which is put into islands projects to protect the islands or build infrastructure like trails, says Mr. Greenwood. If fishing resort visitors paid a similar fee, the money could be put directly back into projects to develop the islands. He would like to see a trail system that is better marked and maintained, with perhaps a wilderness trail similar to Vancouver Island's West Coast Trail.
As well as better trails, Mr. Greenwood would like to see better guides to explain islands trails and wildlife. He says he has sold books in his store Rainbows for 10 years and people are always asking for trail guides and wildlife guides specific to the islands, but there isn't much he can give them
"I love it here. I want to see it preserved," says Mr. Greenwood.