The Galapagos Islands may be listed as "in danger" by the world's top cultural body because tourism is threatening the environment of the islands that helped shape Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Unesco's World Heritage Committee begins a weeklong meeting in New Zealand today and will consider an application from the territory's ruler, Ecuador, to further protect the Galapagos, said the organisation's chairman, Tumu te Heuheu.

The islands have "a very fragile ecosystem and there is a need to manage those activities", he said.