A Case Study of Human Migration
and the Sea Cucumber Crisis in the
Galapagos Islands
 By Jason Bremner M.P.H.,
and Jaime Perez
The sea cucumber fishing crisis in Galapagos is an example of the potential consequences of rapid
migration, growing economic competition, and weak regulatory mechanisms. In a short period of time sea cucumber fishing
has become the most inflammatory issue in the Galapagos. The key factors that allowed for the efficient exploitation
of the new resource were not the fishermen themselves but rather the new fishing techniques and access to credit and
markets. This suggests that the annual sea cucumber crisis is due to factors more complex than simply more fishermen
generating greater sea cucumber catches. This paper examines census data and fisher registries to analyze population
growth in the islands. A public opinion survey is used to determine the population's attitudes toward sea cucumber
fishing and regulations. Qualitative interviews explore the history of the sea cucumber boom. Information from
the sea cucumber monitoring program provides estimates for the annual sea cucumber catches.
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