Fishing Limits on Sea Cucumbers Revoked

An Ecuadorean judge overturned limits set for fishing lucrative sea cucumbers in the pristine Galapagos Islands in a ruling that threatens conservation efforts in the protected archipelago.

The ruling followed a request for an injunction by a group of Galapagos fishermen who felt that government limits on the sea cucumber catch denied them their constitutional right to make a living fishing in the Pacific Ocean marine reserve.

Fishermen led protests this month and threatened to disrupt tourism to the famous islands after authorities capped this year’s sea cucumber catch. Environmentalists said the limits were necessary to protect the species from overfishing.