(YAHOO) – Ecuador is on alert due to the appearance of a huge fleet of mostly Chinese-flagged fishing vessels off its Galapagos Islands.
Patrols are trying to ensure the fleet – which is made up of around 260 vessels – does not enter the delicate eco-system from international waters.
Chinese vessels travel to the region each year in search of marine species.
In 2017, a Chinese vessel was caught in the marine reserve with 300 tonnes of wildlife, most of it sharks.
"We are on alert, [conducting] surveillance, patrolling to avoid an incident such as what happened in 2017," Ecuadorean Defence Minister Oswaldo Jarrin told reporters.
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