Last Hope for the Vaquita

Late last year the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) estimated that fewer than 100 vaquitas were left in the Upper Gulf of California, the only place on Earth where they are found. They also stated that if the different fisheries in region did not stop accidentally catching and killing these animals (which is called bycatch), the critically endangered vaquita had only four more years before becoming extinct. Fortunately, new measures decreed by the Mexican government are giving the vaquita its last hope to survive.

The vaquita’s range is limited to just a small section of the Gulf of California

In April, Mexico decreed a two-year ban on fishing activities throughout the vaquita’s range in the Upper Gulf. The only fishing that will be allowed in the area is for curvina. Boats trying to catch curvina use a type of fishing gear that does not capture vaquitas. Such a wide-reaching ban marks a serious commitment from the Mexican government to try to save this unique animal before it is lost forever.

Inspectors from the Environmental Enforcement Agency, Fishery authorities and the Navy will all be in charge of enforcing the ban. The President of Mexico delivered a new fleet of fast patrol boats to the Navy to make sure they are able to track down and stop any illegal fishing boat, and they will also be using drones for surveillance of the whole area. In the past, illegal fishing has been just as much a problem for the vaquita as legal fishing, so having these new resources to police the waters will hopefully make a big difference.

Measures like this fishing ban can have economic impacts on those who rely on fishing to make their living. So to encourage fishermen to comply with the ban, the Mexican government will compensate them for their loss of income. It is estimated that as a whole, fishermen will be receiving around $50 million dollars each year. This way, the vaquita can be given a fighting chance, but the economic impact on fishermen can be decreased.

The ban will be in place for two years. This is to give shrimpers enough time to change to a fishing gear that does not affect vaquitas. That change is a mandatory part of the new measures, given that the shrimp fishery is the legal fishery that captures the most vaquitas.

All in all, these measures are good news. In fact, they are the last hope for the vaquita to survive. If they don’t work or aren’t implemented correctly, and the vaquita numbers continue to decrease, there will be nothing left that we can do.

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So, will the measures work? There are definitely some concerns. A two-year ban is not nearly enough for the vaquita population to recover. Given the species’ steep decline and the small population left, it needs more than 20 years to truly recover. But a larger problem is that since the ban and compensation plan only target legal fishermen with permits, it leaves out all illegal fishermen. A similar compensation plan has been in place since 2008, but has been a total failure, as not enough fishermen chose to participate. Of those that did accept the compensation, at least 30% cheated and continued to fish.

Illegal fishing continues to be the largest threat. It has been estimated that 40% to 50% of the fleet fishing for shrimp, shark, mackerel, ray and other fin fish in the Upper Gulf consists of illegal fishermen that have no fishing permit. These fishers are not part of the compensation plan, and surely they could care less about the ban since they already fish illegally. Organized crime, which is already prevalent in the region’s illegal totoaba fishery, adds another layer of complication to the problem.

For these latest measures to truly help the vaquita, the key will be to fully enforce the ban during the next two years. We hope that the additional resources the Mexican government has provided will make enforcement easier, more effective, and more widespread. In the meantime, we will continue to advocate for the ban to be extended beyond just two years, and to expand the vaquita refuge area. It will also be essential to reduce the demand for the products gained through the illegal fishing, like the totoaba demand in China. Last year, Mexico and the U.S. presented a joint statement at the 65th meeting of the International Whaling Commission calling on all nations to join in the effort to stop the illegal trade and save the vaquita. Only by reducing demand can we hope to also reduce this harmful practice.