Ecuador is connected in my ways with British Columbia. A trip to the grocery store for bananas will turn up the most commonly seen Ecuadorian import, and a background check on the roses in the flower department might turn up another.

For both Ecuador and British Columbia, the tourism industry has, in the past decade, become an increasingly important part of the economy. Ecuador remains one of the safest and most accessible countries in South America to visit, and has an excellent tourist infrastructure. Both regions boast of similar types of tourist attractions: backcountry eco-tourist lodges, charter fishing packages, whale watching, rafting and kayaking, birdwatching, hiking and climbing.

Another interesting connection between Ecuador and British Columbia is the aquaculture industry. A large quantity of the fish caught commercially off the coast of Ecuador is turned into fish meal. B.C. imports this product from Ecuador for use in the feeding of farmed Atlantic salmon. Because of the importance of fish-based feed as an export, it has a significant impact on the fish populations off the Ecuadorean coast, as harvest tries to meet demand. Similarly, the desire to meet market demand for salmon outside of B.C. has created an expanding industry of Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the province, which may be having a negative impact on our coastal fish species.

A number of bird species live in Ecuador and in British Columbia. The turkey vulture, for example, is a ubiquitous part of the Andean ecosystem in Ecuador, and is a visitor to B.C.’s southwest. Other birds we have in common are the American kestrel, the burrowing owl, peregrine falcon, the rock dove, the great-horned owl, and various species of sandpipers and plovers. The western sandpiper migrates from parts of Ecuador and Peru to British Columbia on an annual basis.

Related Links

• The Nutty Birdwatcher
• Ecuador-Images.Net