Abstract

Renowned for its unique flora and fauna, the Galapagos Archipelago is also home to a growing population of more than 25,000 people. Despite receiving approximately 200,000 tourists each year, and having governmental and nongovernmental offices, two airports, and various other human developments, the Archipelago’s telecommunications remain largely dependent on satellites. The absence of submarine telecommunication cables has not gone unnoticed, and the Archipelago is currently in the spotlight for two potential submarine cable projects. Although the environmental impact of submarine cables is generally deemed to be minimal, the pressure that new anthropogenic activities may add to the Galapagos cannot be disregarded. Two important aspects warrant specific attention in this regard: The Galapagos Archipelago’s surrounding waters have been designated as a marine protected area (MPA) and also a particularly sensitive sea area (PSSA) by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Hence, using the Galapagos as a case study could serve as yardstick from which to assess the central question of this article: To what extent can coastal states regulate submarine cable operations for the protection and preservation of the marine environment?

摘要

加拉帕戈斯群岛以其独特的动植物群而闻名，同时也是不断增长的超过 25,000 人的家园。尽管每年接待大约 200,000 名游客，并拥有政府和非政府办公室、两个机场和各种其他人类发展项目，群岛的电信仍然在很大程度上依赖于卫星。海底电信电缆的缺失并没有被忽视，群岛目前正成为两个潜在海底电缆项目的焦点。虽然海底电缆对环境的影响通常被认为是最小的，但不能忽视新的人为活动可能给加拉帕戈斯带来的压力。在这方面，有两个重要方面值得特别关注：加拉帕戈斯群岛周边海域已被国际海事组织 (IMO) 指定为海洋保护区 (MPA) 和特别敏感海域 (PSSA)。因此，使用加拉帕戈斯群岛作为案例研究可以作为衡量本文中心问题的尺度：沿海国家可以在多大程度上监管海底电缆运营以保护和维护海洋环境？