The Galápagos threatened by an enormous Chinese fishing fleet
Environment — di Luigi Mastrodonato
A fleet of 260 fishing vessels, mostly Chinese, was spotted just off the Galápagos protected area. It is not the first time this has happened.
The Galápagos threatened by an enormous Chinese fishing fleet
A fleet of 260 fishing vessels, mostly Chinese, was spotted just off the Galápagos protected area. It is not the first time this has happened.
Off the coast of the Galápagos, islands under the jurisdiction of Ecuador, tensions are running very high. A fleet made up of hundreds of vessels, mostly Chinese, has pushed close to the protected area, home to very rare aquatic animals. On paper they are there to fish for tuna and other fish destined for human consumption, but the fear is that protected species could end up in the nets and that predatory fishing could destroy the local ecosystem. For this reason, the government of Ecuador, and the United States as well, have raised their voices against Beijing. Partly because of a series of precedents.
Flota pesquera china ronda las islas Galápagos, cuya fauna está protegida - bit.ly/30U1Z01
Fishing on the edge of the marine reserve
The Galápagos protected area extends across 14.6 million hectares. Initially it covered only the land, but in 1986 the surrounding waters were also declared a marine reserve, on account of their fauna and their biodiversity. In 2001 Unesco recognised the sea surrounding the islands as a World Heritage Site, to protect the rare species that live and breed here.
In recent days a fleet of around 260 vessels pushed right up to the edge of Ecuador's territorial waters, off the Galápagos islands. They are mostly Chinese ships, as Beijing faces ever-growing domestic demand for fish and is therefore exploring new fishing routes. China today consumes around 30 per cent of the global catch, despite having a population that accounts for 18 per cent. The fact that the vessels have remained in international waters, just a few miles from the protected area, allows them to fish with few restrictions or controls.
Yet the activity risks having a damaging impact on the marine reserve all the same. The long nets may have strayed across the boundary, as Luis Villanueva, an officer at the Pew bertarelli ocean legacy project, pointed out. Moreover, many of the rare species frequently venture somewhat beyond the protected boundaries and, as the archipelago's governor noted, "every time we see fewer and fewer of them come back."
Vamos a trabajar en una postura regional para defender y proteger la Zona Económica Exclusiva alrededor de la Reserva Marina de Galápagos, una de las áreas más ricas de pesca y un semillero de vida para el planeta entero. #SOSGalápagos
This is why the government of Ecuador has raised its voice. "The Galápagos are not only one of the richest fishing zones on the planet, but a hotbed of life, not only for Ecuador but for the entire planet, for biodiversity and food security," declared president Lenin Moreno. A kind of appeal to the international community, to underline how what is happening in the Galápagos is not only Ecuador's problem, but everyone's. And indeed the United States, which is living through a period of intense tension with China, also made itself heard.
"We strongly support Ecuador's efforts to ensure that vessels flying the Chinese flag do not engage in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. And we stand with the states whose economies and natural resources are threatened by the disregard shown by vessels flying the Chinese flag for the rule of law and responsible fishing practices," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a statement.
China's defence and those precedents in the Galápagos
"A nation of responsible fishing," characterised by "zero tolerance" towards those who violate fishing regulations. That is how China described itself in a statement issued in recent hours, responding to the accusations and attempting to reassure Ecuador about the lawfulness of its actions near the Galápagos. And yet part of the reason the fleet has caused such a stir is precisely that there are very similar precedents, involving the same countries and the same area.
In 2017, the Ecuadorian navy had stopped a large fishing vessel flying the Chinese flag, right off the Galápagos islands. In the hold, 300 tonnes of sharks were found, some belonging to protected or endangered species, such as the hammerhead shark. Around the same time, the islands' residents had pressed the country's government to take a stand against the hundreds of Chinese vessels fishing offshore, right on the boundary between the protected area and international waters. In the past, further scandals involving illegal fishing in the area by foreign vessels have also come to light, some of which ended in convictions for the crews.
The activity of foreign fishing vessels near the Galápagos is, in short, nothing new, but a practice that repeats itself every year. This only amplifies its damaging impact on the local fauna and biodiversity, putting at risk one of the planet's most important natural heritage sites.