Good news for the endangered Vaquita, and hey can you believe this happened while Trump was pres????

[rwsanders]

https://qz.com/1646387/smugglers-caught-with-3-7-million-of-endangered-totoaba-bladders/?utm_source=google-news

China’s appetite for totoaba swim bladders, also called maw, is the principal cause of the near-extinction of the vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise. When fishermen catch totoaba using gillnets, which were banned by Mexico in 2017, the vaquita, which share the totoaba’s habitat, often get taken as by-catch.
Cynthia Smith, executive director of the National Marine Mammal Foundation, told Quartz that the vaquita is the world’s most endangered marine mammal. Today, researchers believe fewer than 30 vaquita remain in the world. Some estimate the number as low as 12.
“If we do not stop the illegal trade in totoaba right now and eliminate that as a threat to the vaquita, they will go extinct,” Smith said. “It is the one most important things we can do to prevent their extinction.”

For those who may not have a background on this issue, a few points:

1. The Vaquita is a unique, shy, beautiful porpoise who is a one of a kind. There are only a few left, current estimates say less than 10. This isn't losing a regional population of a species with a broader range, vaquitas are only found in the Gulf of California. They are so shy, they were only seen by scientists in the 1970's and few pictures exist that are not of dead vaquitas.

2. The best thing for the vaquita and the fisherfolk would be a NO GO reserve. Research has shown that marine reserves IMPROVE fishing in the surrounding waters.

3. Species with historically low populations DO NOT have the inbreeding problems that result in other species that experience genetic bottlenecks. The current hypothesis is that all deleterious genes have been eliminated.

4. EXTINCTION IS FOREVER!!

5. Sea Shepherd needs your help.

6. This is NOT a historic fishery, as fishermen came to the area primarily to fish for the totoaba to send to the Chinese. In the past the fish were left to rot while the bladders were shipped.

7. Fishing gear that is safe for the vaquita does exist and sustainable catch should be supported so the fisherfolks can make a living. The government of Mexico has held back from permitting the new gear (reasons unknown).

[Raine]

1. I hope they can be saved

before it's too late.

[Duppers]

2. K & R

[Blues Heron]

3. I wish the chinese people would wake up to the fact that their weird desires

are pushing animals to extinction. We all know the terrible litany - elephants, tigers, rhinos, etc. and now Vaquitas.

Do the chinese live in a cloud? why can't they wake up? what is their actual problem ignorance or do they just not give two shits.

[rwsanders]

4. If you watch the documentary "The Ivory Game", it is quite clear it is the latter.

I'm frustrated that greed here shipped jobs there creating a middle class in China that can afford to create such demonic havoc.