A massive Chinese fleet continues to surround the Galapagos islands. Ecuador is concerned about the environmental impact of fishing around the ecologically sensitive islands and administers surveillance on the fleet. The Ecuadorian navy conducts patrol missions, which include flyovers over where the vessels fish, as well as reconnaissance.
340 vessels vacate the area just outside of the Galapagos’ protected waters, 260 were reported last month. Each vessel can hold up to 1,000 tonnes of catch. According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese vessels are giving false coordinates, claiming to be in New Zealand waters.
Typically, the fleet takes several weeks to fish off the coast of Peru, before heading to the Galapagos. Ecuadorian navy commander Darwin Jarrin claims that the navy approached Peru and Colombia to seek a regional response to the vessels. Since 2017, the annual Chinese fishing fleet moves near the Galapagos territorial waters during the summer months. While it is not illegal to fish there, the fleets take advantage of the abundant marine species that spillover from the Galapagos and cross into unprotected waters. The spillover fishing risks overfishing the UNESCO World Heritage site without even entering its territory.
China agrees to let Ecuador supervise their fishing boats off the Galapagos. China also promises to not tolerate any illegal fishing approach and has even proposed a moratorium on fishing around the islands between September and November. However, the fishing fleets are typically long gone by then.