The vaquita is the world’s smallest porpoise and with less than 100 remaining its future may not be certain. Living only in the Upper Sea of Cortez the porpoise is threatened by the gillnets used by fishermen to catch the totoaba fish. With just 25 breeding females in the population any more losses could be devastating for the species.
Mexico has just announced a $37 million action plan to conserve the species and it involves the porpoises being protected by naval drones and high-speed patrol boats.
The plan announced by Environment Department official Rafael Pacchiano will last for 2 years and will see a ban on gillnets being bought in later in March. The ban will be enforced by the use of naval drones and a fleet of patrol boats. Three naval bases will co-ordinate the monitoring and they will have access to satellite data.
The no-fish zone will also be greatly enlarged from the small marine reserve at the tip of the Sea of Cortez to take in most of the Baja California coastline.
Local fishermen will receive compensation for the loss of their gillnets and local fishermen will also be used to help enforce the ban.
The WWF in Mexico have welcomed the plan but is concerned that fishermen don’t just need to be compensated for their gillnets but also need to be trained in the use of different types of fishing techniques to help the fishery become sustainable.
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