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Vaquitas, small porpoises endemic to Mexico's Gulf of California, have the smallest geographical range of any marine cetacean species. They were only discovered to science in 1958, and it is estimated that there are now less than 30 of them left.
Barbara Taylor, Leader of the Marine Mammal Genetics Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center, has been involved with vaquitas for almost 30 years. “I was working on my PhD and wrote part of my research on how this rare and elusive porpoise was going to be very hard to survey, and how before we could use typical scientific standards to say it was declining, it could already be extinct.” |
Barbara Taylor on a Vaquita cruise. Photo credit: Barbara Taylor.
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This rare species was first discovered by a marine biologist named Ken Norris, who described the porpoise from skulls found on beaches and carcasses from the local fishing docks. “The species was discovered because of dead animals that were probably caught in fishing nets.
They wondered at the time whether the species could sustain that level of human caused mortality, so this has been a concern since the species was first described.” A recovery team was formed in 1997. The International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) was created by the Mexican Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries. CIRVA’s primary goal was to develop a recovery plan for vaquitas. Barbara is part of this recovery team, as is Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho – the Head of marine mammal conservation and research for the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change in Mexico. “Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho and I have been working together for a long time, and have been on every one of the vaquita surveys. |
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In 1997, when we did the first surveys and put all the information together, it became clear that the level of mortality was unsustainable and that the population was going to decline.”
The main threat to vaquitas are gillnets, which have been used by fishermen in the northern Gulf of California since around the mid-1940s. Legal fishing for shrimp and fish used to be the main drivers of population decline, but since 2011 illegal fishing for a large fish known as the totoaba has become the major threat. The totoaba’s swim bladder is considered a delicacy in China and is erroneously believed to be a treatment for fertility, circulatory and skin problems. “Our surveys have allowed us to put the spotlight on the illegal totoaba fishery. Otherwise, we would have known it was happening, but we would not have been able to raise the red flag of alarm early enough to try to prompt some action from the government of Mexico.” On the other hand, efforts to engage the local communities and promote alternative fishing methods have met with mixed results. “The local communities do not speak with one voice. There are a few, probably 30 or 40 progressive fishermen who were the first to embrace the idea of using alternative gear. However, most of the fishermen are not willing to embrace that, and there are still fishermen who deny that vaquitas even exist. It is true at this point that most fishermen will go out and fish for an entire year and never catch or see a vaquita. It is a very hard problem to get people to take ownership of it, because it is damaging their way of making a living.” |
Observers aboard the RV Ocean Starr scan the upper Gulf of California for vaquita. Photo by NOAA Fisheries West Coast.
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Research vessel Ocean Starr, owned and operated by Stabbert Maritime, is the main platform for the 2015 vaquita survey. Photo by NOAA Fisheries West Coast.
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Even though a permanent ban on gillnet fishing has been introduced by the government of Mexico recently, illegal fishing is ongoing and enforcement efforts are lacking. As a result, the situation has become so critical for the vaquita, that experts think bringing some individuals into captivity may be the species’ last chance for survival. “A team of the most talented observers, coming from all over the world, will use their skills to help us find the last of the vaquita.
We have a team of experts at catching porpoises, and porpoise veterinarians. There is a whole host of engineers who are building sea pens off San Filipe to use as temporary housing. There are also land facilities including a vaquita hospital. We have to be prepared to take good care of them and there are all sorts of specialists coming.“ |
However, we do not even know if we can find them and catch them. These animals avoid engine noise and it is uncertain whether the captive approach will be feasible.
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This big rescue operation will start on October 12 and run for a month. ”We are hoping to successfully capture as many as 10 vaquitas. We know it is a risky thing and we could lose animals, but the animals are dying in the wild as we speak.
Every vaquita in the wild has a 50% chance of getting stuck in a net and strangling to death. The recovery team was not in favour of bringing these animals into captivity for many years, until it became clear that time was running out, and the risk of leaving them in the wild was greater than that of taking them into captivity. However, we do not even know if we can find them and catch them. These animals avoid engine noise and it is uncertain whether the captive approach will be feasible.” |
Pair of vaquita sighted during 2008 survey in Gulf of California. Photo credit: Paula Olson/NOAA Fisheries West Coast.
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Even if bringing the vaquitas into captivity is a success, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the species’ native habitat is safe for them to return to at some point in the future. ”We have not given up on pushing very strongly to get gillnets out of their habitat.
We have seen Sea Shepherd out there for the last three years – they are pulling up hundreds of active totoaba nets. There is clearly a serious enforcement issue.” According to Barbara, two of the most important things that can be done by the general public are to continue to provide public support for vaquita conservation and to provide financial support to two ongoing initiatives to save the species. “The captive effort is called vaquita CPR and we are still short of funds. The other initiative is the ongoing effort of Sea Shepherd to get gillnets out of the northern Gulf. Their project is called Operation Milagro, and they are still out there working.“ |
In 20 years, I would like to see fishermen fishing sustainably, and vaquitas being slowly released back into the wild.
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We can only wish Barbara and everyone else involved in vaquita conservation the very best of luck. At the end of the day, the challenge will be to find a balance between human activities and the need of this species for a safe habitat. “We have been working for many years to make this the first example of converting local fishing communities to use alternative fishing gear, and for consumers to be eating seafood that is not making species extinct.
In 20 years, I would like to see fishermen fishing sustainably, and vaquitas being slowly released back into the wild.” |
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Published 30th August 2017 |