NationStates Jolt Archive

We have been watching over the Galapagos Islands for some time. It has been noted the high amount of poaching of native and unique species there, as well as illegal capturing and exportation of said unique species. It is in the spirit of preserving these species and their habitats that we have expanded our borders to include the Galapagos Islands.

Non-interference with the habitat and lives of the native species will be our doctrine, save for uninhabited tracts of land. Outposts for the Border Patrol will be placed there, and vacation housing for our more illustrious residents seeking tranquility. All funds from sale of the housing there will benefit maintanence of the islands, and support the Border Patrol in their tireless efforts to put an end to the poaching once and for all, through any means necessary.

http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/GalapagosWWW/PlazasLandIguana.jpg

Restrictions on vacation housing will be high and strictly adhered to. Taxes will be levied to ensure funding for the island's conservation efforts.

http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/GalapagosWWW/SallyLightFoot.jpg

OOC: ( I did a search around, and found no nation or region claiming the Galapagos, or having anything to do with it.)

We find this an excellent solution to the problem of poaching and question of who might save this unique environment for future generations. As such, the Dominion supports our honorable ally, Sakkra, in their claim of the Galapagos, and encourage others to do the same.

This has never been an area habitated by much more than the fascinating creatures who make their homes there, and we see no obvious conflict. Through our dealings with the Sakkrans, we believe them to be an ideal choice of guardians for these lands. Not only are they a race who has dealt with others fairly and been open to the sorts of scientific explorations that teams have been interested in involving the Islands for years now, but they, unlike many, have not lost touch with the land, and the need to exist in harmony with it.

We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors - please advise if there is anything the Dominion can do to assist in your efforts.

--Nathicana D'Aquisto, Dread Lady of the Dominion




ooc: gah - please pardon if this is a bit loopy - I'm still drugged up on this end. first post in over a week. bleah. *grins*

We echo the sentiments of the honorable Dread Lady. There are few who we believe could do as well in the stewardship of those lands, though our direct dealings with Sakkra have been few.

In light of the conservation efforts, we have over the years collected a good deal of material on Galapagos aborigines for our genetic archives, but this has never been complete or up-to-date. We would like to inquire as to the procedures for acquiring authorization for a small scientific team to engage in cataloging the current inhabitants of the islands, preferably working alongside Sakkran representatives.

~Prince Master Aidean
Empire of Eniqcir

Official Press Release form Tappee Foreign Affairs

With the newfound relations between the government of Tappee, and the Government of Sakkra, we without out hesitation recognize the Sakkra claim to the Islands. It is our firm belief the both the Islands as well as various forms of life that exist there are now in capable hands.

Harold Armstrong
Tappee Foreign Minister

The Five Civilized Nations hereby challenges Sakkra's annexation of the territory of the Galapagos Islands. We believe that the Galapagos Islands, as an important ecological center, the basis of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, should not be annexed by one nation alone. Instead, the annexation should be consider as more of a sacred trust, the people of the world gives to the Sakkra.

-Five Civilized Nations Secretary of the Environment
--Xiang Wei

We would be willing to accept this trust if it is given freely and without stipulations. We are glad that the various nations of the Dominion, Tappee and Eniqcir are willing to recognize our claim. To the people of Eniqcir, we willo state that clearance for your studies be cleared with the Border Patrol Headquarters in the capitol of Kagaah, in the Black Swamp. They have scientific outposts yet to be made off-shore of the islands, but it is there, most likely, that scientific research will be conducted.

To Five Civilized Nations, we ask for the nature of this challenge? In effect, how is it that you would be satisfied that the island chain will be in capable hands? We are prepared to release reports on our findings in the area that prompted this move.

(OOC: You'll notice that its my Secretary of Environment speaking, not my Foreign Minister.)

The Five Civilized Nations does not deign to acknowledge or challenge Sakkra's actions in annexing the Galapagos Islands. As naught but a pair of inconsequential islands in the Pacific Ocean, we will allow Sakkra to take these territories, but we will not publicly recognize or challenge these claims...

-Quan Ti
--Spokesman for the Five Civilized Nations Foreign Ministry

Xiang Wei, Five Civilized Nations Secretary of the Environment

We are willing to accept your department not officially recognizing our claim. Being the the Islands are a mere 250 KMs from our own lands, we have been watching closely activity of a non-native nature. It is in this spirit that we have made this move.

The islands will be defended from encroachment. Whether this is recignized officially or otherwise, it will still be done.

It has come to our attention that the island of the Galapagos is currently under the protection of El Hefe, an eco-activist group based in the nation of Treznor. Talks are under-way of a cooperative effort between the El Hefe group and the Sakkran Government.

::Edit so I don't look like an ass::

OOC: El Hefe is an independant nation - Sunset has no ties to it. El Hefe does have ties to Treznor.

Instead of our normal response we would actually like to congratulate the actions of Sakkra. We will warn however, any further 'border expansions' will not be meet with such a benevolent reaction.

May the Cooler Shine on you,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

To the Water Cooler Foreign Affairs Ministry,

We thank you for your praise, and will work to earn this praise. We will also work to ensure the veiled threat never needs to be acted upon. Any familiarity with our people would show we do not expand borders, unless it is into unoccupied territories. Other than that, we leave other natrions to succeed or fail on their own merits.

The United Socialist States of Temme would like to donate $10,000 temme dollars to be used for conservation of the wildlife.

Sincerely,

Maureen June,
Public Servant for Foreign Affairs

David Mussen,
Public Servant for the Environment

Your donation will be accepted, and may we note it is a deductable donation, for your national ledgers.

While we were initially concerned over the announcement of a counter-claim to the Gallapagos we have reviewed our information on Sakkra and have noted their excellent environmental record. In light of this information we are pleased to announce our intention to enter into a joint stewardship agreement. Our intentions for the Gallapagos are much the same and two pairs of eyes are better than one when it comes to preserving nature.

Our short term plans for the islands consist of minimizing human/sentient contact by constructing a series of watch towers on the borders of the joint stewardship zone. From here El Hefe and Sakkran patrol craft can keep poachers away and restrict access to legitimate researchers. Our long term goals involve a gradual harvesting and cataloging process where we will catch and release the native wildlife and harvest a genetic sample for cloning efforts. These clones will be passed to zoo's around the world to raise awareness of the Gallapagos and of the environment in general.

Excellent news indeed. Two sets of eyes are indeed better than one. We have brought on board a team of oceanic researchers to chart the rate of growth around the Galapagos in areas where volcanic activity is still noted. The adaptability of the subaqueous life in those areas will be areas of study for us.

Construction of four Sweeper Coordination Tower Relay Nodes has begun on an off-shore floating platform. Each tower will maintain a squadron of the airborn drones.

The Empire of Treznor is pleased to support the claim of the Sakkran Empire over the Galapagos Islands. We're also pleased to have the confusion over El Hefe cleared up; we weren't aware of having activists of any type in the Empire, and would have to flog our Internal Affairs Ministry if we did.

We are willing to make a small contribution to the fund to study and preserve the Galapagos, if such funding would be deemed helpful.

Devon Treznor
Emperor

To the Government of Sakkra

Your claim and your stated mandate over the Galapagos Islands is entirely acknowledged by the Empire of Lavenrunz in accordance both with the legitimacy of your claim and by the advocacy of our allies from the NDA.
We would like to be permitted to send scientific observers from some of our universities in particular to observe the seal, albatross and penguin populations there.

most respectfully
Karl von Effner
Foreign Minister

We would of course, request permission to send scientific observers to study the penguin population.

We would also like to donate 1,000,000 Quois towards to construction of a scientific research/ecologically sound conservation centre on the island.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
The Holy Empire of the Water Cooler

EHNN News Line ~ Porto Yello, El Hefe

Another round of talks concluded today between the Stewardship Minister for the Gallapagos Islands and his Sakkran counterpart. Meeting today in the beautiful Rio Purus nature preserve in western El Hefe the two apparently pursued negotiations as to the escorting of research teams on the islands and the disbursement of funds from the Gallapagos Stewardship Fund that was announced yesterday.

Stewardship Minister Carla Jose had this to say on her arrival back in Porto Yello ~

'If all goes well El Hefe will become the primary manager of the stewardship fund while Sakkra will provide the escorts for research teams on the island. Tomorrow I intend to discuss yearly research team restrictions - I feel we must place some restrictions to keep the researchers themselves from negatively impacting the island ecology.'

According to sources inside the government tomorrow's meeting is to take place aboard the battleship Ferdinand as it patrols the southern reaches of El Hefe.

~~~~

Moonlight sparkled on the water as the black zodiac ghosted along the waves. The men on board kept low - faces covered and soot smudged on any reflective surface they headed towards the islands like they had done for years - and their fathers had done for decades before.

Each night they made this trip was a gamble. They didn't always catch anything and what they did catch fetched a variety of prices on the exotic black market. Some collectors would pay hundreds of thousands for a single bird while others would pay only 10 peso's for a turtle shell. Get lucky though and you could retire to let your son try it when he was old enough.

The trolling motor cut silently through the waves that helped push them silently towards the island. None saw the black shape that drifted above the waves a mere hundred meters away, the faint roar from it's drives drown out in the crash of waves on the nearby shore.

~

"Lieutenant - we should catch them now, no?"

The Lieutenant watched the zodiac through the IR scope for a moment more before turning to the ensign who waited at the helm. He remembered his own father returning from the jungle late at night with a panther skin folded on his back. They had always eaten well for the next month...

"Exterior lights on and bring us up on their port Ensign. Gunnery... train the ventral one-twenty on them."

The outside of the Illapa II gunship lit up as the engines roared to life and sent the gunship racing towards the little zodiac. On the underside of the landship a single turret mounting a 120mm cannon turned and began tracking the zodiac as the two closed rapidly.

~

"What's that? Do you...."

"Oh shi... Coast guard!"

The poacher steering paniced and started the main outboard in an attempt to race away from the craft that was suddenly bearing down on them in gouts of seawater.

'This is El Hefe Coast Guard - stop your motor and prepare to abandon your vehicle. This is a restricted zone. Stop your motor or we will fire.'

"Jesus - stop the motor! You want to get us all killed?"

The motor cut off and the zodiac drifted to a stop, all three men looking up and into the spotlights of the hovering landship.

~

Times had changed in El Hefe - familys had no need to poach from the jungles to feed their families. The government made sure everyone had enough food to eat, and only the greedy went into the jungle any more. It was the government's goal to reverse 60 years of wholesale clearcutting and mismanagement - it might take them 600 years but they would reach their goal.