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Galapagos Islands: 200 Chinese fishing ships 'threat to wildlife'

The Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador are a UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for such extraordinary wildlife that they inspired Charles Darwin to come up with the 'theory of evolution'.

The islands are a protected marine reserve, but there is great concern on the islands about the appearance of a large fleet of Chinese industrial fishing vessels on the edge of the reserve.

More than 200 boats are there to fish sharks and tuna, but the many other endangered species living in the waters are also at risk. There is also concern that they are contributing to plastic pollution washing up on the shore of the remote islands.

Dr Juan Jose Alava from the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries in Burnaby, Canada, explains why they pose such a risk.

(Photo: A flightless cormorant surrounded by garbage on the shore in the Galapagos Archipelago. Credit: Getty Images)

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4 minutes