It makes little sense to reconstruct an entire village from scratch amid contaminated fields close to depleted fishing grounds for a greatly diminished population.

ECONOMIST: The tsunami

Another controversy over surveillance is brewing in the remote fishing town of Dillingham, Alaska, population 2400.

NPR: Alaska Town Watched by Eighty Security Cameras

The population has fallen in recent times because fishing techniques intended to target tuna were also catching many dolphins.

ECONOMIST: Another reason why infant dolphins need their mothers

Researchers believe the area where the boat was found was used by the local population for marsh grazing, fowling or fishing.

BBC: Langstone Harbour Saxon logboat in Portsmouth display

Fishing, which supports a substantial part of the island's population, has also suffered.

ECONOMIST: The navy's troubles

Opportunities in tourism and fishing have tempted mainlanders to the islands in recent years: the population, swollen by now to 16, 000-plus, has been rising by 6% a year, increasing pressures on the 97% of the archipelago classified since 1959 as national park and not for human habitation.

ECONOMIST: Galapagos

The extent to which illegal fishing can be brought under control will also have a big impact on whether the population has a chance of recovering.

ECONOMIST: A ban on the trade in bluefin tuna is rejected