Ecuadorian justice sentenced Friday, September 30, three people to one year in prison for trafficking 84 giant tortoises and five golden iguanas from the Galapagos, a fragile ecosystem listed as a World Heritage Site.
The defendants, who must also pay a fine of 29,000 dollars, have admitted the facts, the prosecution said in a press release.
The three people were arrested in June when the Ecuadorian navy boarded the boat they were traveling on and found five bags with golden iguanas (from the Conolopus subcristatus family).
She also discovered nine boxes containing 84 giant tortoises of the species Chelonoidis chathamensis, seven of which were dead.
A golden iguana can be sold for $20,000
The animals were to be
“transferred from the Galapagos to be marketed in Guayaquil”
, added the prosecution.
According to the same source, a golden iguana can be sold for up to 20,000 dollars and turtles, in danger of extinction, between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars.
The Galapagos archipelago (“turtles” in Spanish) is considered a biosphere reserve for its unique fauna and flora in the world.
It was once home to fifteen species of turtles, three of which became extinct centuries ago, according to the Galapagos National Park.
In 2019, a turtle of the species Chelonoidis phantastica was discovered on the island, more than a hundred years after its supposed extinction.
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