 The Galápagos giant tortoise is now strictly protected and is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora . The listing requires that trade in the taxon and its products is subject to strict regulation by ratifying states , and international trade for primarily commercial purposes is prohibited . In 1936 , the Ecuadorian government listed the giant tortoise as a protected species . In 1959 , it declared all uninhabited areas in the Galápagos to be a national park and established the Charles Darwin Foundation . In 1970 , capturing or removing many species from the islands ( including tortoises and their eggs ) was banned . To halt trade in the tortoises altogether , it became illegal to export the tortoises from Ecuador , captive or wild , continental , or insular in provenance . The banning of their exportation resulted in automatic prohibition of importation to the United States under Public Law 91 @-@ 135 ( 1969 ) . A 1971 Ecuadorian decree made it illegal to damage , remove , alter , or disturb any organism , rock , or other natural object in the National Park . 
