Report recommends breeding the
endangered species – which is the world’s smallest porpoise – in captivity, but
some experts disagree
Associated Press in Mexico City
Monday 6 June 201623.13 BST Last
modified on Tuesday 7 June 201614.47 BST
Mexican authorities should
consider trapping some of the few remaining vaquita marina porpoises in order
to attempt breeding the endangered species in captivity or semi-captivity,
conservationists have recommended.
The vaquita is the world’s
smallest porpoise, and only around 60 remain in the Gulf of California, the
only place in the world they live.
The report by the International
Commission for the Recovery of the Vaquita says offsite – “ex situ” –
conservation should be considered. That could mean putting the dolphins in
breeding pens, either in coastal waters or elsewhere.
Some experts oppose that, saying
efforts to capture them could kill the few vaquitas left. The commission, known
by its initials in Spanish as Cirva, acknowledged the risks involved. Nobody
has ever kept vaquitas in captivity, much less bred them.
“While recognizing the risks and
complexities of such an approach, Cirva concluded that fieldwork to determine
the feasibility of ex situ conservation actions for the vaquita is warranted,”
according to the report. “Cirva agreed unanimously that capture of all
remaining vaquitas is not a viable conservation strategy for vaquitas, which
must, first and foremost, be protected in their wild habitat.”
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