British-owned mini-sub hired by the group of rich Russians for an exclusive voyage through the waters of the Galapagos Islands — the climax of their luxury yacht tour of the southern seas, has been seized by the local authorities. British owner of the submarine and eight other crew members were detained, and Russian “super yacht” is claimed to be arrested in Panama, the Independent newspaper reported Monday.

The trip’s organisers and the mini-sub’s operators, Silvercrest Submarines, have been accused of illegally entering the Galapagos, the world’s most heavily protected environmental reserve, and its crew face up to a month in custody. “The use of submarines in the Galapagos National Park is forbidden,” Edwin Naula, the park’s head of tourism stated.

The Ecuadorian navy impounded the mini-sub and its support vessel, the Cebaco Bay, in the harbour on the island of San Cristobal, leaving Alan Whitfield, the sub’s owner, a British colleague and seven Cebaco Bay crew members confined to the ship.

Lawyers are heading out to the islands, but the status of the Russians’ hired super- yacht is less clear. The 24 Russians are believed to have paid $120,000 (?65,000) for a four-hour voyage around the islands, and even paid for the mini-submersible to be specially flown out for the trip south.

The incident has highlighted an growing problem for the Galapagos: the dangers posed to its unique and highly sensitive flora and fauna from a dramatic growth in “green” tourism. This week, the UN will hear demands by ecologists for the Ecuadorian government to enforce stricter controls on tourism, illegal fishing and economic development in the archipelago.

Visitor numbers have soared in the last 25 years, reaching more than 100,000 last year. Tour vessels and fishing boats are blamed for bringing in invasive species to the islands, destabilizing their delicate ecological balance. Visits are supposed to be very strictly controlled, with ships even fumigated and quarantined before they arrive to prevent alien species or diseases being carried in.

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