Mexico launches plan to mark vaquita porpoise reserve

[rwsanders]

Source: ABC News

The Mexican government said Thursday it will use buoys to mark the reserve of the world's most endangered marine mammal, in a bid to save the last remaining 10 or so vaquita marina porpoises.
The Environment Department promised to provide social programs and jobs for fishing communities in the upper Gulf of California, the only place in the world the vaquita lives.

It said tourism, fish farms and better fishing practices would be encouraged in the area.
The government is faced with the challenge of ending illegal net fishing for totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy in China.

Environmentalists said the government program lacked sufficient details and stressed that more urgent measures are needed to save the vaquita from extinction.
Alejandro Olivera, the Mexico representative for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the measures "are not up to the level of urgency that is required."
"With 10 vaquitas left, what is needed is total protection and the immediate elimination of illegal nets from the vaquita's habitat," Olivera said.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/mexico-launches-plan-mark-vaquita-porpoise-reserve-61854473

---

Couldn't say it better than Alejandro. NOT the correct response, just some sleight of hand hoping to divert the world's attention.


<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/49157359@N00/40417796283/in/dateposted-public/" title="vaquita_by_atolm_d90vcr9-fullview"><img src="" width="640" height="427" alt="vaquita_by_atolm_d90vcr9-fullview"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[SunSeeker]

1. Hope it's not too little too late...

[rwsanders]

2. Well this action is...

But the good news is that Sea Shepherd is still there working to remove nets.
I'm also hoping that population estimates are wrong. Not that this should slow efforts to save the vaquita, but I'm hoping there is a hidden pocket of them. This is possible for a few reasons:
They are extremely shy and won't approach boats
They will enter very shallow waters where even their dorsal fins will lie exposed
Their habits are not well known
Current population estimates are based on visual surveys, which could have missed some, and acoustic buoys which do not cover the entire area of their reserve as the fishermen were removing them and they are about $4000 to replace.

If you followed the comic Mark Trail as a kid (I did), it is still in publication and the author told me there will be a Sunday strip about the vaquita coming out on April 7.

[mr_lebowski]

3. Buoys, huh? That oughta do the trick ...

[Blues Heron]

4. There really needs to be a crackdown on harmful chinese delicacies worldwide

that crap is just stupid. China needs to step up here, this is no joke.

[NickB79]

5. Too little, too late

The last of them will be gone within a year or two.

[Raine]

6. I wish this had been done sooner but

I'll hope for the best at least they're finally doing something.