Environmental Threats Facing the Galapagos Islands

Illegal longlines confiscated by Sea Shepherd.

Despite the fact that in 1986 the Ecuadorian government declared the waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands as a "Marine Reserve," illegal fishing activity continues to this day. Overfishing, longlining, and poaching of sea cucumbers are problems that the Park Rangers and Sea Shepherd crewmembers deal with on an ongoing basis.

Sea Cucumbers

Sea cucumbers (pictured to the right, laid-out to dry) are cylinder-shaped invertebrate animals that live in seas worldwide - most Galapagos sea cucumbers belong to the genus Holothuria. They are found in a variety of sea floor habitats, either buried in the sand or attached to rocks or sand. These worm-like animals have a life span of about 5 to 10 years when left undisturbed, however, more than 4 million are taken legally each year (usually in a 60-day sea cucumber fishery season) and more are taken illegally.

The Sirenian has been involved in many patrols to arrest poachers who illegally extract the sea cucumbers to smuggle to Asia where these marine animals -related to starfish and sea urchins - can be considered delicacies. Demand is increasing for these cucumbers which are cooked, dried, and then used in soups and other dishes.

Longlining

Currently, Sea Shepherd is tackling the problem of illegal longlining in both pelagic waters and in territorial waters of some nation states.

Our legal authority to intervene within territorial waters of a nation state is by way of agreement with the respective state. Presently, the Sea Shepherd has a contractual agreement to intervene against illegal fishing activities in the marine reserve waters of the Galapagos National Park.

A longline is a fishing line usually made of monofilament. The length of the line generally ranges from 1.6km (1 mile) to as long as 100km (62 miles). The line is buoyed by styrofoam or plastic floats. Every hundred or so feet, there is a secondary line attached extending down about 5m (16 feet). This secondary line is hooked and baited with squid, fish, or in cases we have discovered, with fresh dolphin meat.

The baited hooks can be seen by albatross from the air and when they dive on the hooks, they are caught and they drown. Other forms of marine wildlife see the bait from the waters below and get hooked when they try to eat the bait.

The lines are set adrift from vessels for a period of 12 to 24 hours.

Longlines are the most significant factor in the rapid diminishment of shark populations in the oceans. Longlines ranging from one mile in length to over one hundred miles in length are baited with fish, (often illegally killed dolphins or seals), and are meant to target shark, swordfish, and tuna. The sharks targeted are caught mostly for their fins (which account for only 4% of their body weight) and also for their cartilage, liver oil, and teeth. The longline fishermen remove the fins and toss the still living shark back into the sea to die an agonizing death. Unable to swim, they slowly sink towards the bottom where other fish eat them alive. If longlines are not abolished, the oceans will lose most species of sharks within the next decade.

Ghost Lines

Ghost longlines are also a big problem in the Galapagos Island waters. "Ghost lines" are lines that were somehow set adrift from the vessel which laid them. They become tangled messes and capture many types of marine life who innocently try to swim by or through them.

Please visit our Shark Finning and Longline Campaign sections for more information on these issues.