A New Zealand woman is among a foreign crew being held hostage in the Galapagos Islands by armed fishermen, an animal rights group said last night.
Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd conservation group said the fishermen were armed with clubs, pipes and Molotov cocktails.
He said fishermen demanding unrestricted accessto the area's sea cucumbers took over national park offices on Santa Cruz and Isabella islands, and tourist sites on Espanola island.
He said his unarmed crew had a standoff with the mob of fishermen until Ecuador's Ministry of the Environment ordered park rangers and all other people out, leaving the office in the hands of the mob.
"Some of the marines and the police are still there but it's a very touchy situation."
Help was coming from the mainland.
"However, our Sea Shepherd crew on Isabella Island is still being held hostage, and that includes citizens from America, Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland."
The only New Zealander listed as a crew member on the group's website is Cathy Davies.
A week ago, fishermen ended a two-day protest at the park office.
"They decided to call off the protest until they can talk to the environmental minister," park spokesman Oscar Aguirre said at the time.
The unique environment on the islands, 1000km off the Ecuador coast, inspired British naturalist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
This year's 60-day sea cucumber fishing season around the islands was to begin on May 31.
Fishermen want an unlimited daily quota of sea cucumbers, which are sold as a delicacy.
Galapagos National Park could not be contacted last night.
