The Navy spots about 100 Chinese fishing vessels in around the Galapagos Islands

A Navy aircraft detected Chinese vessels carrying out fishing operations near the so-called Exclusive Economic Zone of the Galapagos Islands, an outer area of the marine reserve, where another ship of that nation was captured Sunday night carrying 300 tons of endangered species in its holds.

The Navy identified more than one hundred fishing vessels in the southern part of the archipelago, in the vicinity of that economic zone, which are being monitored.

This alert was ignited because any foreign ship can fish in the Ecuadorian exclusive economic zone. And the problem, according to a Navy source, is that the fishing gear used (long line) can measure up to 15 nautical miles. That makes the position of the ship relative to its extended line, and there is a possible entry to carry out fishing operations. (I)