From frustrating failure to lasting solution

The endangered baby tortoises were hidden in plain sight: in a red suitcase, in the cargo area of the Galápagos Ecological airport, destined for Ecuador. 

Discovered during a routine inspection, 185 tiny creatures were each tightly wrapped in plastic to immobilise it and stop it attracting any interest. By the time they were uncovered, 10 of them had already suffocated. 

This was in 2021. The 10cm hatchlings, which would have grown into 1.3 metre long Galápagos giant tortoises, were being smuggled to the mainland, destined for the highly lucrative exotic pet trade.  

Although the initial seizure was a success for the airport manager and his team, the subsequent poorly-managed law enforcement operation exposed critical flaws in the system which threatened to derail justice, as well as conservation efforts. 

For a start, delays in police arriving on the scene meant that airport staff had to make decisions that they were not trained for; a lack of established protocols for handling live animals lead to unintended evidence mishandling; instead of working together, agencies pointed the finger at each other, making it harder to hold the traffickers accountable. 

All in all, a failure to have a clear plan in place for handling illegal wildlife seizures led to the unravelling of what should have been a strong legal case. 

But this month, a significant step forwards was taken, when the authorities formally adopted a groundbreaking ‘Chain of Custody Protocol’ to safeguard Galápagos’ biodiversity and ensure no future case slip through the cracks. 

It was the culmination of four years of work, which began in 2021when ECOGAL airport officials and conservationists rallied together, determined to transform a shocking crime into a turning point for better procedures for tackling illegal wildlife trade.  

TRAFFIC has been involved with developing improved processes through providing essential tools, knowledge and resources to Galápagos law enforcement officials to address the systemic failures exposed by the tortoise trafficking case. 

The new Chain of Custody Protocol sets out processes to ensure evidence is properly handled, documented, and preserved. It defines roles and responsibilities for airport security, police, environmental authorities, and other key actors.  

Furthermore it standardizes how wildlife seizures should be managed, minimizing legal loopholes that traffickers could exploit, as well as provides training for airport staff.  

Wildlife trafficking is a constant threat to our airport operations. With the development of the Chain of Custody Protocol, we have strengthened our response capacity, protecting the unique biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands," said Iván Vidal, Head of Sustainability, ECOGAL Airport.

Renata Cao, TRAFFIC programme lead in Latin America, said: “The willingness of the teams in Ecogal airport to learn from a mistake means that the whole law-enforcement team is now better equipped to detect, respond to, and handle wildlife trafficking cases efficiently. 

“The project turned a frustrating failure into a lasting solution that helps protect Galápagos’ biodiversity and strengthens law enforcement's ability to combat illegal wildlife trade.”