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Ecuador Frets Over Sunken Galapagos Barge Salvage
Ecuador's environment minister, Raul Ledesma, said on
Monday that a situation involving a sunken barge in the Galapagos
Islands which was carrying 600 gallons of diesel is under control
but added that authorities are "very concerned" about the
vessel's recovery.
The barge sank on Sunday after a crane at the La Predial dock of
San Cristobal - the easternmost island of the Galapagos
archipelago - fell while unloading cargo, Ecuador's navy said in
a statement on Twitter.
Located around 1,000 kilometers from mainland Ecuador, the
Galapagos Islands are home to a variety of flora and fauna that
famously helped inspire Charles Darwin's theory of evolution
following his 1835 visit.
The islands, which are included on the world heritage list of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), were labeled as at risk in 2007 after population
growth, fishing, and tourism had put pressure on natural
resources there, though the designation was removed in 2010
following work by Ecuador.
The crane was taking off a container holding an electricity
generator when it fell into the vessel, causing it to sink.
Ledesma said the sunken generator was the source of the oil seen
in the water.
The vessel was carrying the fuel for its own operations, Ledesma
told Reuters. "It was not transporting fuel," he said. "The oils
that are leaking are from the machine that was inside the
container, so this is the oil that can be seen leaking."
Ecuador's Navy, alongside authorities from the Galapagos National
Park, placed barriers and hydrocarbon-absorbing cloths around the
stricken vessel to prevent the dispersal of anything that might
leak.
One person was injured in the incident, said the attorney
general's office, which is investigating.
"This fuel spill could have caused serious effects on the
sensitive ecosystem of this protected area," the attorney
general's office said.
Ledesma said sea iguanas and two sea lions had been tested
following the accident but added that no bad effects on their
health had been reported.
The minister said that while the situation was under control,
authorities could not afford to relax.
"We are very concerned about the recovery work of the tanks
because there could be a potential spill if it is not done
efficiently and swiftly," he said.
Reporting by Alexandra Valencia
Dec 24, 2019
