BY SILVIA SANCHEZ, WILDAID MARINE PROGRAM
An Ecuador court sentenced a Galapagos resident to three years in prison, earlier this month, for the illegal trafficking of sea cucumbers.
This particular conviction is a victory for the local community and authorities as it serves as an important deterrent for those considering carrying out illegal fishing and trafficking of protected species. Historically, the legal system tended to be more lenient towards local perpetrators; however, this verdict goes a long way in showing that wildlife laws are applied equally to all, regardless of origin.
After two days of deliberation, the Seventh Tribunal in Guayas unanimously sentenced a Galapagos resident to three years in prison for trafficking 3,712 sea cucumbers (181 lbs). The sea cucumbers were discovered January 2016 during a routine search by Galapagos National Park and National Police officers at the Baltra island airport. The trafficker had attempted to smuggle the sea cucumbers inside three cartons, where fish were used to hide the dried and salted sea cucumbers.
Sea cucumbers are marine animals with leathery skin and elongated bodies that are considered a delicacy in Asian cuisine. They act as scavengers and are often referred to as the earth worms of the sea because they break down nutrients and recycle debris on the sea floor. The demand for sea cucumbers has led to their massive decline worldwide and listing on the IUCN Red List of endangered species. They are considered a protected species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Once widely abundant in the Galapagos, the fishery has been indefinitely closed due to overharvesting.
Galapagos National Park Director, Walter Bustos, stated that “it’s not fair that one sector of the fishing community respects the closure, while others abuse and traffic these protected species,” to emphasize the need for continued enforcement operations and the zero tolerance stance from the Galapagos National Park Service towards illegal fishing.
Since 2002, WildAid has worked with the Galapagos National Park Service to prevent illegal fishing, raise awareness, strengthen penalties and protect nearly 3,000 marine species thanks to the support of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, Conservation International, IGTOA, the Walton Family Foundation and WWF.
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Las Cortes Ecuatorianas Sentencian a Un Pescador Ilegal a Tres Años en Prisión
Después de dos días de audiencia, el Tribunal Séptimo de Garantías Penales, de la provincia del Guayas, sentenció a un residente permanente de Galápagos a tres años de prisión por tenencia y transporte de 3.712 pepinos de mar (181 libras).
El 21 de enero de este año, en un control de carga y equipaje en el aeropuerto ecológico de Baltra, ejecutado por los guardaparques del Parque Nacional Galápagos en conjunto con miembros de la Policía Nacional, se detectaron tres cartones con pescado, pero que contenían ocultos gran cantidad de pepinos de mar en estado seco salado, que pretendían ser transportados por vía aérea hasta el Ecuador continental.
El pepino de mar es una especie protegida dentro de la Reserva Marina de Galápagos y actualmente se encuentra en período de veda, esto como parte de los mecanismos implementados por la autoridad ambiental para conservar y proteger a estos especímenes, así como también su hábitat natural. Están dentro de la lista roja de especies en peligro de extinción de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN), organismo en el que el Estado ecuatoriano forma parte.
El Director del Parque Nacional Galápagos, Walter Bustos, manifestó que la autoridad ambiental mantendrá una política de cero tolerancias para los casos en donde se vulnere los derechos de la naturaleza y que los recursos naturales que generan los ecosistemas de Galápagos son para beneficio de toda la comunidad, de manera sostenible. “No es justo que hay un sector pesquero que sí respeta las vedas, mientras que otros individuos abusan y trafican con especies protegidas, por lo que los operativos de control continuarán”, dijo.
Desde el 2002, WildAid ha trabajado con el Parque Nacional Galapagos para prevenir la pesca ilegal, sensibilizar a la comunidad, fortalizar las sanciones y proteger a las 3.000 especies marítimas gracias al apoyo de Helmsley Charitable Trust, Conservación International, IGTOA, Walton Family Foundation y WWF.
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