The fleet generally spends several weeks fishing off the coast of Peru before approaching the Galapagos. The fishing fleet has since 2017 been arriving in the summer months and fishing just outside the Galapagos territorial waters, drawn by marine species such as the endangered hammerhead shark.
Such fishing is not illegal because it takes place in international waters. But environmental activists say it allows fleets to take advantage of the abundant marine species that spill over from the Galapagos and cross into the unprotected waters. “This is not something that will change overnight,” said Ecuadorean foreign minister Luis Gallegos in a television interview on Sunday. “It is necessary to . . . generate bilateral agreements with other countries with regards to illegal fishing, to monitor every ship that’s in the South Pacific.”A Chinese vessel in 2017 was captured in the Galapagos Marine Reserve carrying 300 tons of marine wildlife.
China has promised a “zero tolerance” approach to illegal fishing and has proposed a moratorium on fishing in the area between September and November. The fishing fleets usually leave the area before that period. The Galapagos Islands, which lie some 1,000 km from Ecuador’s coast, are home to many unique species, including giant tortoises, and served as inspiration for 19th century British scientist Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. – Reuters
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