Tthere were only about 10 people left.
It’s not 10. 10.
The vaquita is the most endangered marine mammal on the planet. If current trends continue, the small black-eyed porpoise will disappear from the Gulf of California by the end of the century.
The International Whaling Commission issued a dire warning in August 2023, issuing the first ever “extinction warning”. The message is simple and clear. Unless the nets are 100% removed immediately, the extinction of the vaquita is inevitable.
“If we don’t do it now, it will be too late,” the committee said.
But there we are. there it is. Ten people swim in ever-shrinking pools and are hunted with nets meant for fish (even whales).
Find out about porpoise species
The scientific name is Phocoena sinus. The common name is “vaquita”, which means “calf” in Spanish. The name comes from the pale rings around the eyes and lips that look like markings on the face.
It’s small.
It is 4 to 5 feet tall and is the smallest of the cetaceans. These include dolphins, whales and their larger cousins. The weight is 65-120 kilos. It is dark gray in color with distinctive black markings. It has a rounded head and a disproportionately large dorsal fin.
Their diet is simple. shrimp. small fish. squid. Squid.
They do not have complex oceanic life cycles. They don’t travel thousands of miles. they live close to home.
The smallest habitat on earth
The vaquita’s range is smaller than that of other marine animals.
They live in just 1,519 square miles of land in the upper Gulf of California. It begins in the estuary of the Colorado River Biosphere Reserve. This is a limited space. bottleneck.
The water near the coast is shallow. This makes them easier to catch. This also makes protection more difficult.
In 2005, the Mexican government established a sanctuary in the northern part of the Gulf of California. Commercial fishing is prohibited there. Sounds like a solution it is not.
This refuge covers only a small part of the already restricted area. Porpoises still swim outside the protected area. They are still swimming towards the net.
Network crisis
Vaquita faces threats. There’s only one thing.
Net fishing.
These are vertical mesh walls suspended inside a water column. Fish swim into it. Their heads get stuck. They drowned.
Porpoises don’t want to get into trouble. they swim they chase prey. They hit the net and panicked. They twist. The more you turn, the deeper the cut in the web.
The crisis started around 2011. Why? Totoaba’s swim bladder in the Gulf of California.
The totoaba of the Gulf of California is a type of fish. It is on the verge of extinction. Its swim bladder is valued in traditional Chinese medicine and cosmetics. People pay a high price for this bladder. This requirement drives illegal fishing.
Totoaba is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). But the trade goes on. This is illegal. It’s rampant.
Some conservationists believe that the Mexican government is not doing enough to protect these protected areas. Enforcement is weak. Money is amazing.
How did the number of porpoises collapse?
The drop is not gradual. This is a free fall.
In the first census in 1997, 567 vaquita porpoises were counted.
By 2015, the number had dropped to 59.
The number is expected to rise to 10 by 2022.
These are not stable population estimates. These are the numbers of survivors. Each number represents a specific animal. I’m a mother. calf. Couple.
Losing one reduces genetic diversity. Increased risk of inbreeding. The margin of error disappears.
Protection and embargo
Efforts to save the porpoise are desperate. They are fragmented. They weren’t moving fast enough.
In 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service implemented a seafood ban. They ban all seafood caught in the vaquita’s natural habitat from entering the United States.
The goal is to break the demand chain. If they cannot sell the fish they catch in the porpoise area, there is less incentive to fish there.
Sarah Uhleman, director of international programs at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the embargo was a step. But she didn’t call it solution
“This embargo is an important step towards ending the complete indifference of the Mexican government to the extinction of the vaquita,” she said.
Indifferent. These are words that carry weight for the government. But this reflects the frustration of conservationists who continue to see fishing nets in use in restricted areas.
What can you do?
Ordinary people can help. But helping has its limits.
You can support organizations working to protect porpoises. It can raise awareness. You can avoid using seafood caught in porpoise habitats.
But the real solution is in the water.
Alternative fishing methods also exist. Trawl nets are an alternative to nets. Safe for porpoises. They reduce bycatch.
The warning of the International Whaling Commission is clear. Change nets. now.
Otherwise, the porpoise will die.
It won’t last a century. Not in 10 years. Immediately.
The water in the upper Gulf of California is calm. It’s getting quiet. The remaining 10 vaquita porpoises swim in the space that has become a trap.
Can we turn it around?
Science does. The technology exists. The money is there. Political will is the missing variable.
I’m waiting for the next vote. Next number. It’s lower.
Unless we take action.
But we’re not there yet.
