The tide may have turned on the shark - it has become the hunted, rather than the hunter, in parts of the Pacific Ocean.

Situated off the coast of Ecuador, the group of islands making up Galapagos National Park has been attracting nature lovers worldwide.

But the ecological balance of one of the planet's most cherished nature reserves has come under serious threat as another species is being pushed to the verge of extinction - sharks.

These waters have become infested by new unwelcome killers.

Illegal fishing companies are making a lucrative business out of hunting sharks and selling their fins.

Fins are sold throughout Asia, often ending up in the popular dish of shark fin soup.

As supply struggles to keep up with demand - hunters have been scouring the waters in their droves.

Mr Eliecer Cruz, Director of Galapagos National Park, said the unethical hunting of sharks had become a profitable venture.

Illegal fishing ships, some coming from as far away as Japan, catch the sharks in nets.

They cut the animal's dorsal, pectoral and tail fins as soon as they are pulled on board the boat.

Fishermen later dump the bleeding animals back into the ocean to die slowly.

The hunting has put the survival of some species under threat, but, with one pound of shark fin selling for up to US$80, there's little incentive for illegal fisherman to abandon their trade.