Alarm over discovery of hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels near Galápagos Islands

The fleet, discovered just outside a protected zone, raises the prospect of damage to the marine ecosystemEcuador has sounded the alarm after its navy discovered a huge fishing fleet of mostly Chinese-flagged vessels some 200 miles from the Galápagos Islands, the archipelago which inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.About 260 ships are currently in international waters just outside a 188-mile wide exclusive economic zone around the island, but their presence has already raised the prospect of serious damage to the delicate marine ecosystem, said former environment minister Yolanda Kakabadse. Continue reading...