Day 7. January 7, 2020. Guayaquil, Ecuador.
I will cherish the time spent on the Galapagos Islands, but I know it is time to move on to even more exciting things! Coming up in the next few days are hikes at the Andes mountains and in the Amazon rainforest. These will surely be some of the most breathtaking experiences of a lifetime. We’re heading back to Guayaquil today, but our flight is delayed a few hours, so we chill at the airport for a while, buying souvenirs, eating good food, and journaling. I must give my presentation on Ecuador’s economy and chief exports tonight, which is making me slightly anxious, but I spend some of the free time I have practicing my presentation over and over in my head. I also tried Pacari chocolate for the first time, and it was amazing. We will be visiting their store for a tour at some point.
Once we arrive back in Guayaquil, we go on a nice evening walking tour through the city and get some Ecuadorian “fast food”, which is nothing like the fast food at home. I got a huge plate of fish with rice and lentils, plus some fried plantains (which I’ve come to adore), and a juice drink all for about $5. Amazing. Anyone that chose to go to the KFC across the street tonight, just know I think you’re lame. For me, exploring foreign countries is all about immersing yourself in their culture. Guayaquil is a super intense city, basically the New York City of Ecuador. The biggest indicator of this is all the crazy drivers that would have not a single problem running you over if you were still walking across the street once the light turned. This is the most dangerous city of our trip, but Diego leads us around flawlessly. He talks about Ecuador’s provinces, which are like states in the U.S. and there are 24. The province of Guayaquil has the largest number of inhabitants out of all the other provinces and is also known as the pickpocket capitol (great!). Quito is the capitol of Ecuador, and we will be going there towards the end of the trip.
Before Ryan and I present tonight, we have one other presentation by a woman named Natalia Molina Moreira, a professor who works at the university in Guayaquil, and who is going to talk to us about the impacts of shrimp farming in the mangroves of Ecuador. She is personally working on a project to restore many mangroves in Ecuador, as they provide biodiversity, carbon capture, flood protection, environmental services, buffer zones, and a cradle for species; making up about 70% of the coasts. 30% of them are deforested today, largely due to shrimp farming. Tomorrow, we are going to Charute mangroves, and then to see a large shrimp farming operation, so it is perfect timing to have this discussion. She doesn’t speak much English, so Diego has to translate the entire presentation for us, but it is a quite effective presentation nonetheless, and I am able to get some fresh insight on all the positive impacts that mangroves have on the environment here, and how shrimp farming using the mangroves has had negative repercussions, and the laws that have gone into place to address this have had issues. Mangroves are very important to Ecuadorians because they are prominent here and can provide a lot. Ecuador has six provinces with mangroves on the Pacific Coast, with Esmeraldas province having the biggest mangroves in the world! Laws have been put in place to keep these mangroves safe, specifically from people who farm on them. 27% of the mangroves in the country are occupied by shrimp farming operations, because the nutrient rich waters help the shrimp grow the largest. A pound of shrimp in Ecuador costs about $3, which is cheap, and this is because it is all done right here in their backyards. The main problems that arises from this are when shrimp catch disease, because it causes socioeconomic crises, along with the pollution of organic waste, chemicals and antibiotics which pollute groundwater or coastal estuaries (WWF, n.d). Additionally, deforestation is a major problem, and therefore, today the country has laws in place stating that every previous shrimp farm owner is required to make an area of reforestation. They’ve also set up the mangroves in a way that there are protected areas, untouchable areas, and smaller areas where shrimp farming can occur. No more free-for-all. Moreira foresees that between 2021 and 2030, 30% of mangroves will be restored. Although with increasing climate change, she is worried because these delicate natural areas invite it openly. On the other hand, they make for great carbon sinks, which would be actively fighting climate change all the time. They can even clean toxins, like oil, from the soil when planted. This is why we need the mangroves in good health.
After the presentation, it is my turn to present on Ecuador’s economy with Ryan. Ryan spoke a lot about the history of the country and how they get to where they are today, in terms of using the American dollar as their currency, and some other facts. I talked a lot about their main exports and imports, and where they send their unrefined oil, fish, bananas, cacao, and other less impactful exports. They also import mainly medicines, cars, and refined oil from other countries. Namely, the United States which is Ecuador’s largest trade partner. We also talked about the future of the country, their current debt status, and the loan they just recently received from the International Monetary Fund.
Reference
WWF. (n.d.). Farmed Shrimp. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/farmed-shrimp
I will cherish the time spent on the Galapagos Islands, but I know it is time to move on to even more exciting things! Coming up in the next few days are hikes at the Andes mountains and in the Amazon rainforest. These will surely be some of the most breathtaking experiences of a lifetime. We’re heading back to Guayaquil today, but our flight is delayed a few hours, so we chill at the airport for a while, buying souvenirs, eating good food, and journaling. I must give my presentation on Ecuador’s economy and chief exports tonight, which is making me slightly anxious, but I spend some of the free time I have practicing my presentation over and over in my head. I also tried Pacari chocolate for the first time, and it was amazing. We will be visiting their store for a tour at some point.
Once we arrive back in Guayaquil, we go on a nice evening walking tour through the city and get some Ecuadorian “fast food”, which is nothing like the fast food at home. I got a huge plate of fish with rice and lentils, plus some fried plantains (which I’ve come to adore), and a juice drink all for about $5. Amazing. Anyone that chose to go to the KFC across the street tonight, just know I think you’re lame. For me, exploring foreign countries is all about immersing yourself in their culture. Guayaquil is a super intense city, basically the New York City of Ecuador. The biggest indicator of this is all the crazy drivers that would have not a single problem running you over if you were still walking across the street once the light turned. This is the most dangerous city of our trip, but Diego leads us around flawlessly. He talks about Ecuador’s provinces, which are like states in the U.S. and there are 24. The province of Guayaquil has the largest number of inhabitants out of all the other provinces and is also known as the pickpocket capitol (great!). Quito is the capitol of Ecuador, and we will be going there towards the end of the trip.
Before Ryan and I present tonight, we have one other presentation by a woman named Natalia Molina Moreira, a professor who works at the university in Guayaquil, and who is going to talk to us about the impacts of shrimp farming in the mangroves of Ecuador. She is personally working on a project to restore many mangroves in Ecuador, as they provide biodiversity, carbon capture, flood protection, environmental services, buffer zones, and a cradle for species; making up about 70% of the coasts. 30% of them are deforested today, largely due to shrimp farming. Tomorrow, we are going to Charute mangroves, and then to see a large shrimp farming operation, so it is perfect timing to have this discussion. She doesn’t speak much English, so Diego has to translate the entire presentation for us, but it is a quite effective presentation nonetheless, and I am able to get some fresh insight on all the positive impacts that mangroves have on the environment here, and how shrimp farming using the mangroves has had negative repercussions, and the laws that have gone into place to address this have had issues. Mangroves are very important to Ecuadorians because they are prominent here and can provide a lot. Ecuador has six provinces with mangroves on the Pacific Coast, with Esmeraldas province having the biggest mangroves in the world! Laws have been put in place to keep these mangroves safe, specifically from people who farm on them. 27% of the mangroves in the country are occupied by shrimp farming operations, because the nutrient rich waters help the shrimp grow the largest. A pound of shrimp in Ecuador costs about $3, which is cheap, and this is because it is all done right here in their backyards. The main problems that arises from this are when shrimp catch disease, because it causes socioeconomic crises, along with the pollution of organic waste, chemicals and antibiotics which pollute groundwater or coastal estuaries (WWF, n.d). Additionally, deforestation is a major problem, and therefore, today the country has laws in place stating that every previous shrimp farm owner is required to make an area of reforestation. They’ve also set up the mangroves in a way that there are protected areas, untouchable areas, and smaller areas where shrimp farming can occur. No more free-for-all. Moreira foresees that between 2021 and 2030, 30% of mangroves will be restored. Although with increasing climate change, she is worried because these delicate natural areas invite it openly. On the other hand, they make for great carbon sinks, which would be actively fighting climate change all the time. They can even clean toxins, like oil, from the soil when planted. This is why we need the mangroves in good health.
After the presentation, it is my turn to present on Ecuador’s economy with Ryan. Ryan spoke a lot about the history of the country and how they get to where they are today, in terms of using the American dollar as their currency, and some other facts. I talked a lot about their main exports and imports, and where they send their unrefined oil, fish, bananas, cacao, and other less impactful exports. They also import mainly medicines, cars, and refined oil from other countries. Namely, the United States which is Ecuador’s largest trade partner. We also talked about the future of the country, their current debt status, and the loan they just recently received from the International Monetary Fund.
Reference
WWF. (n.d.). Farmed Shrimp. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/farmed-shrimp