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News > Science and Tech

Chinese Ship Found Carrying Endangered Species from Galapagos

  • This area is one of the few in the world where hammerheads can be found by the hundreds, forming the largest biomass of sharks in existence.

    This area is one of the few in the world where hammerheads can be found by the hundreds, forming the largest biomass of sharks in existence. | Photo: EFE

Published 15 August 2017
Opinion

The vessel was found carrying 300 metric tons of frozen marine species, with endangered fish and hammerhead sharks piled in the base of the ship.

Ecuadorean authorities have announced the seizure of a Chinese ship which was caught smuggling animals from the Galapagos Islands marine reserve.

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Detained near San Cristobal Island, one of the most important of the archipelago, the vessel was found carrying 300 metric tons of frozen marine species, with piles of slaughtered endangered fish and hammerhead sharks stacked in the base of the ship.

Authorities said the ship was detained 35.5 nautical miles northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno from the coast.

"We are going to act firmly in the face of these events," said Walter Bustos, director of the Galapagos National Park.

The report stated that when the ship was brought to shore for investigation, they found “vulnerable marine and fauna species protected by the Ecuadorean state.”

Endangered species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List were found below deck.

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The coast guard said that 20 people onboard the ship at the time of its capture, all of which could face three years in prison on charges of environmental crimes.

The ship's capture comes one year after Ecuador inaugurated a marine sanctuary for sharks in the stretch of sea between the Galapagos Islands of Darwin and Wolf.

A large variety of turtles along with flamingos, pikemen, albatrosses, and cormorants live in the Galapagos Islands, which served as the basis for the theory of evolution of the species of the British scientist Charles Darwin in the 19th century.

The San Cristobal Island was also declared as World Natural Heritage in 1978 by the UNESCO for its abundance of natural wildlife and flora. The area is one of the few in the world where hammerheads can be found by the hundreds, forming the largest biomass of sharks in existence.

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