Ecuador has declared a state of emergency on the Galápagos Islands after a freighter carrying chemicals and dangerous products ran aground last week, according to a statement from the Environment Ministry. 
 
 The freighter, Galapaface I, ran aground May 9 as it was leaving the bay of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristóbal island, the ministry... ||||| Ecuador has declared an environmental emergency in the Galapagos Islands after a freighter carrying pollutants ran aground last week. 
 
 The measure will free up resources to remove the ship and mitigate its impact in the face of "possible environmental damage that could unleash a disaster" said the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park (DPNG). 
 
 The vessel, which ran aground off the Baquerizo Moreno port on the island of San Cristobal on Friday, was carrying 19,000 gallons of cargo fuel that has already been removed. 
 
 But highly polluting motor oil and cleaning products remain in the ship's airtight holds, yet to leak out. 
 
 At the request of Galapagos authorities, Ecuador's Environmental Minister Lorena Tapia issued the environmental emergency. 
 
 The measure aims at protecting the archipelago's marine reserve, specifically the "area affected by the stranding and possible sinking of the cargo ship 'Galapaface I'" DPNG said in a statement. 
 
 The Ecuadoran-owned Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean around 620 miles off the coast of Ecuador, are classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. 
 
 Galapaface 1, which was carrying 1,000 tons of cargo when it ran aground, became blocked by sand and rocks that cracked its hull, causing flooding in the vessel's engine room. 
 
 In 2001 the Ecuadoran ship "Jessica," which was carrying fuel, ran aground near the same spot, causing a serious environmental crisis that affected several species. 
 
 The region is home to a large population of sea lions. 
 
 The Galapagos Islands are famous for their unique flora and fauna studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle as he developed his theory of evolution. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption The ship's cargo has been emptied, but it is feared that pollutants could spill over 
 
 Ecuador has declared an emergency in the Galapagos Islands, saying that a cargo ship which ran aground last week still poses a threat to the archipelago's fragile ecosystem. 
 
 The ship's cargo has been offloaded, but the authorities said pollutants, like motor oil, inside the vessel could spill and cause environmental damage. 
 
 They were working to remove the ship. 
 
 The Galapagos are home to unique animal species such as the giant tortoise, marine iguana and flightless cormorant. 
 
 In 1978, the chain of volcanic islands were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 
 
 The Ecuadorean freighter, the Galapaface I, became stranded off the rocky coast of the island of San Cristobal last Friday. 
 
 It was carrying more than 70,000 litres (15,400 gallons) of diesel fuel. 
 
 'Environmental risk' 
 
 The governor of the Galapagos said that, despite having emptied all the fuel, some pollutants remained inside. 
 
 "The ship is stranded and continues to present an environmental risk for the Galapagos Marine Reserve and must leave the area," Jorge Torres told the Efe news agency. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption The Galapagos are home to unique animal species such as the giant tortoise 
 
 In a statement, the Ecuadorian government said the emergency measure would free up resources to remove the vessel. 
 
 "As a result of the emergency declaration the Risk Management Secretariat will be able to directly carry out the purchase of goods, the procurement of services and the work that are required to overcome this emergency." 
 
 It did not say how long it would take to complete the removal of the vessel. 
 
 Darwin's finches 
 
 This is not the first ship accident in the Galapagos. 
 
 In 2001, an oil tanker also became stranded off the coast of San Cristobal, spilling fuel and decimating the marine iguana population. 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption In 2001, an oil tanker became stranded, spilling fuel and killing marine wildlife 
 
 The archipelago, about 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) off the South American continent, is a major tourist attraction in Ecuador. 
 
 It first became known for its endemic finches, which were studied by the British scientist Charles Darwin in the 1830s.
– A new threat to the Galapagos Islands "could unleash a disaster," say officials: a cargo ship. At Galapagos officials' urging, Ecuador (which owns the islands) yesterday declared an environmental emergency there after a ship ran aground last Friday. The 19,000 gallons of cargo fuel the Galapaface 1 had been transporting have been removed from it, but dangers persist in the form of nasty pollutants like motor oil and cleaning products still aboard the ship; the Wall Street Journal puts the amount of pollutants aboard at about 1,100 tons. The ship is stranded off San Cristobal island, where it's blocked by sand and rocks that cracked its hull, reports the AFP; the vessel may sink. In declaring an emergency, "the Risk Management Secretariat will be able to directly carry out the purchase of goods, the procurement of services, and the work that are required to overcome this emergency," Ecuador said in a statement, though it gave no indication of how long it would take to remove the ship. And as the BBC notes, authorities have reason to worry: An oil tanker that spilled fuel while stranded off the coast of one of the islands in 2001 essentially destroyed the marine iguana population. (In more positive Galapagos news, scientists have managed to save Darwin's finches using cotton balls.)