First 'Extinction Alert' Issued Over Vaquita Porpoise

What’s the story?

• The International Whaling Commission (IWC) issued its first “extinction alert,” warning of the critical state of the vaquita — the world’s tiniest and most critically endangered marine mammal.
• A recent study found there are only 10 vaquita left in the Gulf of California in Mexico. The scientific committee released a statement expressing IWC’s grave concerns over the mammal’s survival, highlighting the actions needed to save it. 
• The marine mammal was placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List in 1996 and, since then, has seen a steep decline. The IWC said:

“Despite nearly thirty years of repeated warnings, the vaquita hovers on the edge of extinction…”

What caused the near extinction?

• Vaquitas have been driven to the edge of extinction due to fishing nets known as “gillnets,” which are now illegal in the region. The mammals continue to get caught in the flat fishing nets suspended vertically in the water, eventually killing the animal. The traps are meant to hunt totoaba, another endangered fish. 
• The nets have caused the vaquita’s population to drop from over 550 to just 10 over the last decade. The IWC said that in order to save the vaquita from extinction, all gillnets must be replaced with alternative fishing gear. 
• It’s estimated that bycatching — known as the unintentional catch of non-targeted species — has killed around 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises yearly. 

Actions in place

• The Mexican Navy created zero-tolerance areas in 2022 and increased the enforcement to stop illegal gillnet fishing. The IWC said the structures seem promising but need more monitoring. 
• There is evidence of illegal fishing near the edges of the zero-tolerance zones, which the IWC claimed shows how difficult it can be to enforce sea regulations. 
• IWC spokesperson Kate Wilson shared a glimmer of hope for the mammals as they “have surprised us all by managing to maintain a population of only around 10 animals for about five years.” Additionally, calf was sighted during a recent survey, according to the vice-chair of the IWC’s scientific committee, Dr. Lindsay Porter, said:

“There is at least one brand new baby vaquita. They haven’t stopped breeding. If we can take away this one pressure, the population may recover. We can’t stop now.”

The importance of the vaquita

• The small, commonly timid, mammals are both predators and prey in their habitat, making them crucial to the food web. Without them, the population control of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods would get out of hand. Conversely, top predators like sharks and killer whales would lose an important food source. 

Are you concerned about the state of the vaquita?

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: Smithsonian CC0/SEMARNAT)