Ken Weemhoff of Galapagos Aventures has written up an informative update concerning the situation in the Galapagos that resulted in all dive trips being canceled last month. A meeting in Ecuador yesterday resulted in a decision “to accept a moratorium on the ban on diving until December 31.” Ken writes, “beginning next Monday (August 27) all previously booked dive trips to Galapagos which are scheduled for 2007 will operate as planned.  The authorities were instructed that they are to issue new tourist (diving) patentes to begin in January 2008 and that the local fishermen are to be given priority in acquiring these new patentes.”

Despite the good news for tour operators and divers with plans to travel to the Galapagos, it may take Ecuador a long time to recover from the incredible stupidity of its actions.  After all of this, what diver is going to believe that a trip planned to the Galapagos won’t have a high likelihood of being disrupted by local corruption and bureaucracy?  It’s a good thing its waters are still productive enough for people to take the risk.