Rare porpoise facing extinction due to illegal fishing
There are only 10 vaquita porpoises left in the wild, and Mexico has been accused of failing to protect them
Mexico has threatened the future of a rare species of porpoise, according to a new report from a joint US-Mexican commission.
There are believed to be just 10 vaquita porpoises left in the world. They live in a small area in the Gulf of California that sits between Baja California and mainland Mexico.
Their decline has mainly been driven by their presence in accidental capture in illegally-laid gillnets set to catch Totoaba, a large fish caught for its swim bladder for export to Asia.
The report, from the US-based Center for Biological Diversity, said that Mexico’s claims to taking enforcement action against illegal fishermen in the area do not stand up to scrutiny. Despite the country banning certain types of fishing gear in 2020, their use has continued unabated, the report claimed.
Meanwhile, the future for the vaquita porpoise seems increasingly bleak. “This report confirms a heartbreaking reality. Illegal gillnet fishing is squeezing the last breaths out of the poor vaquita,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
The full report can be accessed here.
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