Ecuador declares emergency over petrol tanker threat to Galapagos islands

  • 10 years ago
Ecuador has declared an emergency in the Galapagos Islands saying a petrol tanker which ran aground last week still poses an environmental threat.

The vessel which was carrying 70,000 litres of diesel was emptied of its cargo, but fears remain over other pollutants such as motor oil and cleaning products which could escape causing damage to the marine environment.

Declaring an emergency frees up funds to dedicate resources to removing the freighter from the marine reserve. Though it’s unclear how long this might take.
The Galapagos Islands are famous for their unique flora and fauna studied by Charles Darwin as he researched his theory of evolution. The volcanic archipelago was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1978 and is home to rare species such as the giant tortoise as well as a large population of sea lions.