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Illegal Chinese fishing in the Galapagos: a threat to the biodiversity of the Latin American Pacific

The growing illegal activity of Chinese fishing vessels in Latin American waters has triggered the search for new regional solutions to combat this criminal activity.

By Alessandro Ford
Illegal Chinese fishing in the Galapagos: a threat to the biodiversity of the Latin American Pacific
Aerial view of the fishing boats waiting to be dismantled in Huai'an city, east China's Jiangsu province, 13 October 2020
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A new report suggests the Chinese fishing fleet that mass trawled just off Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands in recent months was fishing illegally in the country’s territorial waters, sparking a renewed search for regional solutions to reel in such illegal fishing practices.

Below, InSight Crime details key elements to take away from this complex case.

What Did the Fleet Do?

On July 16, the Ecuadorian Navy issued a warning that a foreign fishing fleet of about 260 vessels was stationed just outside Ecuador’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the Galápagos Islands and that naval personnel were prepared to intercept any vessels entering illegally.

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