Practical Management Capacity
The ability to undertake active management on the ground has also increased, and the skills are now more likely to be held in core government agencies than with outsiders. As innovative programmes have been undertaken, confidence has also been built and technology introduced for one purpose has often become available for other uses.
For example managers ignored the international advice that said that eradicating weeds was virtually impossible, started small, and are now more confident about making decisions on when eradication is worth trying. In May a helicopter reconnaissance of Floreana to monitor areas affected by blackberry (Rubus niveus) plants, one of the worst weeds affecting the Galapagos ecosystem. This inspection managed to identify a new clump in an area with difficult access. The Floreana field-assistance team is now preparing a manual eradication plan that will be carried out in a few days. Ten years ago the idea of eradicating blackberry would have been laughed at and a few years ago there were no helicopters to do this sort of work.