QUITO, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador will expand the protected marine area at the Galapagos Islands by 60,000 square km, creating one of the largest nature reserves in the world, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced on Monday.

The islands will cover an area of 193,000 square km after the expansion, Lasso said at the 26th United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP26) held in Glasgow of Britain from Monday to Tuesday, according to the president's Twitter account.

"For us, Galapagos is a national treasure that must be protected. With the new reserve, we are making a decisive move towards an ecological transition," Lasso tweeted.

Expanding the Galapagos reserve is possible thanks to the fishing sector's commitment to sustainability, said the ministry of production, foreign trade, investment and fisheries in a statement.

In June, the government unveiled a new environmental public policy to incorporate the concept of "ecological transition," which is aimed at a more environmentally-friendly circular economy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Located 970 km from the continental coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands are home to numerous endemic species with a unique environment.

The islands were declared a natural heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1978.