Hosted by the Galápagos National Park Directorate (DPNG), Days 2 and 3 of the Vanuatu–Galápagos Knowledge Exchange Mission gave the delegation from the Republic of Vanuatu firsthand insight into how the Galápagos has built one of the world’s most advanced island conservation governance and biodiversity financing systems.

The delegation was officially welcomed by Lorena Katherine Sánchez Saritama, Director of the DPNG, who highlighted the importance of South–South cooperation and expressed pride that the Galápagos has been selected as a key case study for Vanuatu’s emerging Green Levy initiative.

Across two days of technical sessions, the delegation explored the institutional architecture that underpins conservation in the Galápagos — centred on three key institutions: the DPNG, the Agency for Regulation and Control of Biosecurity and Quarantine for Galápagos (ABG), and the Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galápagos (CGREG).

Carlos Ortega, President of CGREG, presented the Council’s institutional mandate and its central role in territorial planning, migration control, and sustainable tourism management — balancing conservation priorities with the needs of the local population across the archipelago.

Mariela Cedeño, Director of the ABG, walked the delegation through the institution’s critical function in protecting the islands from invasive species and biosecurity threats, including permanent border vigilance, quarantine systems, laboratory analysis, and inter-agency collaboration. For a country like Vanuatu, where biosecurity is equally central to island ecosystem integrity, the ABG model offered directly applicable lessons.

The legal foundation for this governance architecture was presented by Mariel Celi, Director of Legal Affairs at DPNG, covering the Organic Law of the Special Regime of Galápagos — the constitutional and regulatory framework that enables conservation finance, environmental compliance, and jurisdictional enforcement across the islands.

A significant focus of the two days was placed on the financing mechanisms that sustain Galápagos conservation. The delegation explored three flagship instruments in depth.

The National Park Entrance Fee — the foundation of the Galápagos Green Levy system — was examined alongside the broader income-based tax model presented by Finance Director Jennifer Lopez, which clarified the institutional competences and earmarking arrangements that direct revenues toward conservation outcomes.

The Invasive Species Fund (FEIG), presented by Coordinator Mario Piu, illustrated how trust fund structures can provide sustainable financing for one of the archipelago’s most pressing ecological threats — a model with direct relevance to Vanuatu’s own biodiversity challenges.

The Galápagos Life Fund (GLF), represented by Danny Rueda, demonstrated how Ecuador’s debt-for-nature swap has been converted into a long-term financing mechanism supporting marine surveillance, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity programmes across the islands.

Together, these mechanisms show how conservation financing can be layered, institutionalised, and made resilient — translating policy commitments into funded, operational outcomes.

The exchange also examined how conservation governance extends into specific sectors. Jorge Baque, Fisheries Management Officer at DPNG, presented the science-based systems governing fishing permits, quotas, boat registration, traceability, and landing site monitoring in the Galápagos Marine Reserve.

Jimmy Navas, Director of Public Use at DPNG, presented visitor statistics, managed site categories, tourism typologies, and the pressures and management challenges that come with one of the world’s most visited protected area systems. For Vanuatu, which is exploring tourism-linked green levy mechanisms and carrying capacity management, this session was particularly relevant.

Edgar Robalino, Head of Education at DPNG, complemented this with a presentation on visitor rules, environmental education, and compliance mechanisms — highlighting the role of public awareness in making conservation governance work in practice.

Mario Santos, Director of Regulations and Prevention at MAPG, rounded out the sectoral picture with a presentation on agroecological practices and the integration of biodiversity conservation with sustainable local livelihoods — an often overlooked but essential dimension of island conservation systems.

Day 3 moved beyond the meeting room. The delegation visited the DPNG Monitoring Centre, where vessel monitoring systems, fisheries surveillance infrastructure, and marine reserve delimitation tools gave a concrete picture of how governance translates into operational implementation.

A visit to the Giant Turtle Nursery offered a direct encounter with one of the Galápagos’s most iconic species recovery programmes — illustrating how conservation financing supports long-term ecosystem restoration and reintroduction efforts.

The day concluded at the Charles Darwin Research Station, where Maria Jose Paladim, Director of Science at the Charles Darwin Foundation, guided the delegation through the institution’s scientific research, invasive species management work, FEIG-supported projects, and community engagement programmes. The visit demonstrated how science, policy support, and community engagement can be integrated within a coherent conservation governance system.

For Vanuatu, which is developing a national Green Levy mechanism as part of its NBSAP 2026–2030 implementation framework, the Galápagos experience offers a rare combination: a mature, operational model that is also an island system facing comparable pressures — invasive species, tourism management, marine resource governance, and the challenge of financing long-term conservation from domestic sources.

The exchange continues to reinforce the value of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership in facilitating practical peer-to-peer cooperation between countries working to strengthen biodiversity financing and accelerate NBSAP implementation. Over the coming days, further consultations with NGOs, fisheries cooperatives, tourism operators, farming associations, and local communities will provide additional insights into how conservation finance mechanisms operate at community and implementation levels.