Efforts to patrol and enforce the ban on shark fishing are difficult at best. Pepinos del mar When the sea cucumber season began, dozens of fishing boats appeared, drawn to the high price paid by the Asian market. In addition, fishing camps were set up on the once pristine western Island of Fernandina. Unlicensed fishermen cut down and burned protected mangroves to dry their catch and slaughtered dozens of giant tortoises for food. Triggered by the overfishing, the government shuts down the season a month early triggering protests.
Fishermen now look to exploit alternative markets such as sea urchins.
No real penalties have been imposed for the illegal harvesting of marine resources. They harassed scientists, threatened to kill Lonesome George and closed the road to Baltra. The tuna species caught in Galapagos are the yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack. In 1995, there were 25 boats registered flying the Japanese flag. From 1996 to 1997, most of the illegal activity shifted from sea cucumber extraction to shark fishing, while the harvests of mainland tuna boats remain constant.