Ecuador has banned most fireworks in the archipelago, just days before New Year’s celebrations. Conservationists say the explosions cause damage to the islands’ wildlife. Germans, too, have been urged to limit fireworks.
Ecuador’s government has banned the use and sale of most fireworks on the Galapagos Islands to protect the archipelago’s unique fauna.
The ban comes just days before New Year’s celebrations that traditionally see fireworks set off across Latin America and the rest of the world. Fireworks that produce light but no noise have been exempted from the ban.
Conservationists have said the sounds of explosions cause elevated heart rates, nervous stress and anxiety among animals on the islands, which are home to several endemic species including iguanas and tortoises.
