(translated - thanks to Google - and adapted from the article that appeared in the El Comercio newspaper on Sunday, 27 August 2017).

The announcement was made by Lorena Tapia, president of the Galápagos Government Council, in her Twitter account. "Judge sentenced for environmental crime to Chinese boat crew: prison and fine payment," she wrote at 20:00 on August 27, 2017.

Also on Twitter Environment Minister Tarsicio Hail wrote: "Zero tolerance for environmental crimes! From 1 to 4 years in prison for various crew members and more than USD 5 million in fines."

The official also said that the court determined that the ship "goes to the Galapagos National Park service" and said that the fine is USD 5.9 million as compensation.

Walter Bustos, director of the Galapagos National Park, told El Comercio that the ruling "has just created a legal precedent for Ecuador, for Galapagos, for the whole world." He said that as part of the sanction the Chinese vessel Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 will be seized. This, plus the penalty of deprivation of liberty and the fine are "an opportunity for the life of marine migratory species".

In a communiqué issued last night, the Ministry of the Environment assured that the criminal confiscation of the vessel will be in charge of Real Estate and will be "for the benefit of the population of Galápagos, in case of being auctioned the value of the sale will reach the Park National Galápagos."

Bustos explained that "what is happening is that there is a fleet in the Pacific" that has been in places like Baja California and Argentina. "Now it was us, with the difference that here we act with all the rigor of the law and with all the transparency of the case. That is why we have this ruling today. "He also stressed that with the decision of the judge sits" the sovereignty of Ecuador ... in an issue of defense for our natural resources."

The ruling, according to the MAE, "was determined by the evidence found inside the Chinese vessel, which included the holding and transport of protected species (sharks) within the Galapagos Marine Reserve, an offense established in Article 247 of the Organic Code Integral Penal ". This Sunday, August 27, 2017 was the third day of hearing against the 20 Asian crew of the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999, captured while sailing through the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Judge Alexandra Arroyo was in charge of the process. Earlier, the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park reported that the freighter carried more than 6 620 sharks in its hold. The Park and the Ministry of the Environment acted as private accusers.

It was also heard today that the nearly 300 tonnes of fishing found in the hold of the Asian ship were received from two Taiwanese vessels: the Hai Fang 301 and the Hai Fang 302. According to the crew, the transshipment took place between the August 5 and 7, more than a thousand kilometers northwest of the Galapagos. The ship was captured by the Ecuadorian Navy on August 13, near San Cristóbal Island. "It was also possible to determine, according to the captains' versions, that the vessel entered unauthorizedly into the Galapagos Marine Reserve, bound for Peru, and then returned to China," Galapagos National Park reported in a statement .

The accusation of the Office of the Prosecutor and of the Park's Management was based on the transportation and possession of protected species, an offense stipulated in article 247 of the Integrated Criminal Code (COIP). In addition, the freighter was not allowed to drive through this protected area. Hammer, silky, fox, pelagic fox and maiko are the species of sharks found in the refrigerators of the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999. They were heaped and some already without fins, as determined the inspection. The management of the Galapagos National Park has already developed several actions within the case, such as the process of destruction of the first eight tons of fishing, between 21 and 22 August. And it managed the delivery of the ship to the Navy, in operation and with the freezers lit to avoid contamination by the decomposition of the fishing.