In September, private investors put 20,000-ha Guafo island up for sale for US $20 million (1). The island, located in northern Chilean Patagonia, is a stronghold of unique biodiversity
(2, 3) and a biocultural heritage site for Patagonia Indigenous groups and the country (4). The owners bought the island a decade ago with plans to conduct coal mining operations (1), but after Chile made a climate change commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050 (5), the difficulty obtaining mining permits made them rethink their investment. The Chilean government should protect these valuable ecosystems by deeding the island to the Indigenous people who claim it.