Galapagos sea lions suffer more reported injuries from lost and discarded fishing gear than any other species in the Archipelago, entangled by nets and plastic cords. Sea lions have also been found entangled in plastic bags. Galapagos sea lions are considered a ‘sentinel species’ - an animal that gives us an early warning about impending environmental catastrophe – and the future for Galapagos looks bleak if we don’t tackle plastic pollution urgently.

We're taking action to protect wildlife both at sea and on land, from working with the local community on plastic bag alternatives and environmental education, to supporting coastal clean-ups in hard-to-reach locations. We are partnering with organisations across the Pacific to tackle the root causes of coastal plastic pollution, including harmful fishing practices such as the release of deadly fish aggregating devices (FADs) on the edge of the Galapagos Marine Reserve by industrial tuna fleets.