Ecuador warns of possible legal actions if vessels near the Galapagos enter a restricted area

Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). File Image.

(CNN Spanish) - Ecuadorian authorities reported at a press conference on the actions they are taking in the presence of a fleet of 260 vessels, including fishing vessels, supply vessels and warehousing, outside the limits of the Exclusive Insular Economic Zone. , close to the Galapagos Islands.

The fleet, according to the Ecuadorian government, includes vessels belonging to China, Liberia, Panama and other countries of which the Foreign Ministry will be informed in the next few hours through a report.

Defense Minister Oswaldo Jarrín said the fleet reached the outer limit of the exclusive zone, where there is a corridor between the Galapagos and the mainland. "No ship has ever entered nor can it do so," said Jarrín. In addition, he insisted that there is a constant patrol and surveillance of the activities that the boats are carrying out in the area that, he assured, is delimited and is automatically identified.

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The foreign minister, Luis Gallegos, reported that Ecuador has warned China through its diplomatic representation so that the boats do not enter the exclusive area of ​​the country because "they would be the target of retaliation." He emphasized that the government will defend its sovereignty and the sustainable use of natural resources through diplomatic channels.

For his part, the State Attorney General, Íñigo Salvador, said that diplomatic negotiation is being prioritized to resolve disputes over the presence of this international fleet. "If these negotiations do not have the expected success, the Ecuadorian State reserves its right to take legal action." He added that the country's hopes are centered on diplomatic contacts being successful, and that "hopefully there will be no violation or transfer of that exclusive line" because, in that case, the Attorney General's Office "will intervene with all vigor".

The President of the Galapagos Governing Council, Norman Wray, expressed his concern over the presence of the 260 vessels, and insisted that it is not only a problem for Ecuador, but a "global problem", and that, therefore, more is needed international cooperation for the management and protection of marine fauna. Wray recalled that the Galapagos Islands are one of the best preserved natural heritage sites in the world, according to Unesco.

A meeting with representatives of Chile, Peru, Colombia and Panama (as an observer) is scheduled for this Wednesday to discuss the presence of the fleet in the exclusive area. For his part, President Lenín Moreno reported on Monday that he has formed a public-private team made up of environmentalists and experts to design a "strategy for the protection of the Galapagos and respect for its maritime resources." One of the group's members is Yolanda Kakabadse, former president of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and with a background in solving environmental conflicts and conserving nature.

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry told CNN that the country is "responsible in the fishing industry" and that it attaches "great importance" to the protection of maritime and environmental resources, while "expressing understanding and respect for concerns from Ecuador".

"Chinese fishing vessels are operating normally and legally at sea outside the exclusive economic zone of the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. China will continue to request companies to carry out ocean fishing operations in accordance with laws and regulations and will deal with zero tolerance for illegal fishing vessels. ”