BRONX, NY, November 20, 2025—The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) today expressed strong support for proposals submitted by Ecuador to the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that would transfer Galápagos land and marine iguanas from Appendix II to Appendix I—the highest level of international protection under CITES.

The proposals, to be considered at CITES CoP20 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (November 24–December 5, 2025), would effectively ban international commercial trade in these species and strengthen measures against trafficking. Proposal 23 addresses Galapagos land iguanas and Proposal 22 addresses the Galapagos marine iguana. 

The Galápagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are home to some of the world’s most extraordinary reptiles, including the only lizard that forages in the ocean—the marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)—and three species of land iguana (Conolophus spp.), including the rare pink land iguana found only on the slopes of Wolf Volcano. Each plays an essential role in maintaining the ecological balance of the islands that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution nearly two centuries ago.

“CITES works best when governments act before species are pushed to the brink,” said Susan Lieberman, WCS Vice President for International Policy. “Ecuador’s proposals to move the Galápagos iguanas to Appendix I recognize the serious and growing threats they face—from climate change to invasive predators to illegal trade. This is exactly the kind of precautionary action that CITES was created to support.”

Marine iguanas, unique among all living reptiles, feed on algae in the cold waters of the Galápagos. Their populations fluctuate dramatically during El Niño events, when warmer seas disrupt food supplies and can cause up to 90 percent mortality in some colonies. They are also vulnerable to pollution, oil spills, and the impacts of tourism and coastal development. Although Ecuador has prohibited hunting and export of marine iguanas since 1959, illegal trade in hatchlings and juveniles continues, with individuals sometimes fetching high prices in the international pet market.

The Galápagos land iguanas face similar pressures. The pink land iguana (Conolophus marthae) is known from a single small population of fewer than 200 mature individuals, while the other two species remain fragmented and vulnerable to introduced predators such as feral cats and rats. These iguanas are critical to their island ecosystems as seed dispersers and herbivores that shape the plant communities on which other species depend.

“Each of these iguanas tells a unique evolutionary story,” said Sebastian Valdivieso, Country Director for the WCS Ecuador program. “They have survived volcanic eruptions, droughts, and isolation over millennia, but they are now up against threats they cannot withstand alone. An Appendix I listing will shut the door on commercial trade and give conservation partners a stronger legal framework to protect them.”

WCS’s Bronx Zoo has a long history of caring for reptile species such as Galápagos tortoises, Grand Cayman blue iguanas, and Komodo dragons. Herpetology Curator Kevin Torregrosa said, “Our experience caring for and breeding endangered reptiles provides insight into how to address the challenges they face in the wild. The Galapagos iguanas’ proposed move to Appendix I underscores how science, policy, and education can work together to safeguard species that exist nowhere else on Earth.”

WCS has long supported Ecuador’s leadership in conservation across the Galápagos, including efforts to control invasive species, strengthen law enforcement, expand marine protections, and conduct the first ex-situ breeding efforts for Galapagos tortoises to prevent their extinction 100 years ago. WCS continues to collaborate with governments and partners around the world to ensure that CITES fulfills its mission of preventing trade from threatening the survival of wild species.

For more information on WCS’s global conservation work and its engagement in CITES, visit www.wcs.org.

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