Authorities from Ecuador are on high alert after a fleet of Chinese fishing vessels was seen near the Galapagos Islands, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The area is known for its diverse marine ecosystem.
The Galapagos Islands form part of Ecuador.
The fleet is currently still in international waters. According to BBC, Ecuador has commissioned the navy to monitor the ships and to ensure they do not enter the region to fish illegally.
Satellite photo of the massive (unwanted) Chinese #fishing fleet south of the Galapagos (west of Ecuador). NOAA VIIRS DNB Imagery (nightly radiance, 7/29/2020) pic.twitter.com/Ztdf1uMjte
— AI6YR (@ai6yrham) July 29, 2020
‘Unchecked Chinese fishing just on the edge of the protected zone is ruining Ecuador’s efforts to protect marine life in the Galápagos,’ the former mayor of Quito, Roque Sevilla, told The Guardian.
In 2017, a Chinese fishing vessel was found in the area, carrying 300 tonnes of marine wildlife of which most were sharks.
The Galapagos Marine Reserve is one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems, home to a myriad of sea animals including whales, several shark species, manta rays, swordfish and sea turtles.
‘Because of that [natural] wealth in that area, we suffer immense pressure from international fishing fleets,’ President Lenin Moreno said according to BBC.
Image credit: Unsplash
