The Galapagos archipelago threatened with pollution following a shipwreck
A boat sank on Saturday in a bay in the Galapagos archipelago, raising fears of diesel pollution in this unique ecosystem in the world.
The Galapagos Islands are classified by Unesco as a World Heritage Site for their unique fauna and flora in the world. (illustrative image)
AFP
A boat sank on Saturday in the Galapagos archipelago, a biodiversity sanctuary off Ecuador, and preventive measures have been taken to avoid a scattering of the diesel contained in its tanks, the national park said on social networks .
“In response to the sinking of a dive boat in Academia Bay, park rangers placed containment and dispersal barriers to limit potential negative environmental impacts. The shipowner will carry out salvage actions, on the basis of the emergency protocol”, is it written on the Twitter account of the management of the Galapagos National Park.
In photos published with the text, we see floating dikes on the water and rainbow marks on the sand from the fuel spill. The public oil company Petroecuador said in a statement that “the private vessel Albatroz sank on the island of Santa Cruz, in Puerto Ayora, carrying diesel”, without specifying the quantity of fuel. The four crew members are safe and sound, she said.
Fauna and flora unique in the world
The Galapagos Islands are classified by Unesco as a World Heritage Site for their unique fauna and flora in the world, and are part of the World Biosphere Reserve. The Ecuadorian archipelago, which inspired English naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, has 198,000 km2 of marine protected area since a recent extension of 60,000 km2 in January.
In December 2019, a barge containing around 600 gallons (220,000 litres) of diesel sank on San Cristobal Island, also in the Galapagos, causing an unquantified spill that the government says had no impact. on wildlife.
Posted today at 11:03 p.m.
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