After several months of installing repeaters and programming and adjusting radios, Sea Shepherd Galapagos has officially handed over a large amount of radio communication equipment to the National Police in Galapagos. This donation of 110 mobile radios, repeater stations, car radios, and adjoining infrastructure will be largely sufficient to supply the entire police force in the Galapagos. We are pleased to say that good communication on each island as well as inter island communication is now possible through radios. We hope that these radios will improve the safety of the police officers and will help the police to continue their important work protecting the people and the environment of the Galapagos Islands.

The improved communication will be useful for all other Sea Shepherd projects in our quest to provide assistance and strengthen the existing law enforcement in the Galapagos. With the ongoing destruction of this wonderful and unique place, we have to always stay one step ahead of the criminal elements only interested in making a profit out of the natural world. We are confident that the improved communication will make the work of law enforcement easier and more efficient.

Sea Shepherd will ensure this new network stays functional in the coming years. Where needed we will conduct maintenance and replace parts.

This project wouldn’t have been possible without the help of:

- ECWF (www.ECWF.org) from the Netherlands, who generously donated the equipment

- Marcel Wensveen the radio technician from the Netherlands who donated much of his time and a lot of his personal funds installing and preparing the equipment

- LUSH (www.lush.com) who sponsored the project

- Malena Garcia, our Galapagos Coordinator, who got the donation through Ecuadorian customs in record time and whose patience is exemplary dealing with bureaucracy

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