Skipper to try rescue of crew from fishing protesters

6.00pm

The skipper of a conservation vessel will tomorrow try to rescue six of his crew, including a New Zealander, caught up in an angry fishing protest in the Galapagos Islands.

Aucklander Cathy Davies, 24, is among those working for the United States-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society who are unable to leave Isabella island.

Ms Davies is part of the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel Farley Mowat.

It is one of two ships used by Sea Shepherd in its contract with local National Park authorities to patrol the Galapagos, which are part of Ecuador and lie 800km off the South American mainland.

Captain Paul Watson said fisherman demanding unrestricted access to the area's sea cucumbers had taken over National Park offices on Isabella and Santa Cruz islands.

They had also taken over tourist sites on Espanola island.

Capt Watson and six of his crew who were on Santa Cruz had been released, but those on Isabella were still being held by fishermen armed with molotov cocktails, lead pipes and a bat.

He hoped to take two inflatable dinghies with him tomorrow on a lengthy trip from Santa Cruz to get them off Isabella.

"We have fears for their safety," he told NZPA. "The rangers have been trying to get them out and the Navy has said it cannot do anything, which is ridiculous.

"What I'm going to try to do tomorrow morning is to despatch two fast zodiacs to cross the 50 miles between the islands.

"We're just going to run into the harbour and see if they can jump on and we can run out again.

"If the Navy are not going to do this then we are going to have to do it ourselves."

Capt Watson said Ms Davies and the other crew were not wearing anything that identified them as being from Sea Shepherd and they were not being held hostage personally.

What the fishermen were doing was preventing anyone from embarking and disembarking at Isabella.

"Our crew are not physically being held hostage, the whole town is being held hostage and they can't leave," he said.

"We're afraid they will be in danger if the fishermen find out who they are."

Capt Watson said a standoff had occurred because the local governor, who he said was a fishing boat owner, had refused to authorise the police to do anything about the protest.

"Police and rangers are standing around frustrated," he said.

"Never before have I seen people holding molotov cocktails, lead pipes and clubs in front of government buildings being tolerated."

- NZPA

Sea Shepherd