Captain of Galapagos Tanker Held Pending Charges

PUERTO BAQUERIZO MORENO, Galapagos Islands —  As rangers worked Wednesday to capture birds and other animals stained and dazed by an oil spill, authorities detained the captain of the grounded tanker and pledged stronger protections for these islands renowned for their unique wildlife.

Capt. Tarquino Arevalo and about a dozen crewmen from the tanker Jessica were ordered confined to a military base on San Cristobal Island, part of the Galapagos chain, pending charges, Ecuadorean merchant marine Vice Adm. Gonzalo Vega said. There were conflicting reports about whether they had been arrested.

The ship ran aground off San Cristobal on Jan. 16, eventually leaking at least 185,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the ecosystem populated by species found nowhere else on Earth. The accident occurred after a signal buoy was mistaken for a lighthouse, said Capt. Ramiro Morejon, chief of marine monitoring for Galapagos National Park.

He blamed human error--an allegation Arevalo admitted to in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp.

Ecuadorean Environmental Minister Rodolfo Rendon said legislation is being written to require permission and insurance for all vessels entering the area with more than 10 gallons of fuel.