MEXICO CITY, Oct 18 – Mexico's president announced a significant cut in the protected area for the vaquita marina, the smallest porpoise in the world, claiming it will benefit fishing communities.
This week, the area where fishermen are banned from using gillnets — long walls of nylon mesh — was reduced by 86%, now covering just 1,562 square kilometers (603 square miles), which is about the size of Greater London. Critics argue that this change threatens the survival of the species.
Previously, the protected area was roughly the same size as the US state of Connecticut.
President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the new plan aims to preserve biodiversity in the Gulf of California while also helping fishermen earn a better income.
Authorities affirmed that the decision was influenced by suggestions from the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, an advisory group for the government.
Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, a Mexican marine biologist and leading expert on the vaquita, expressed hope that a smaller designated area would enhance efforts to save the species.
“It is tough to enforce a ban over a very large region, especially where there have been no recent sightings of vaquitas,” Rojas-Bracho told Reuters. “If you lose a ring, you wouldn't search your whole house; you'd look where you lost it.”
Last year, scientists estimated there were only 7 to 10 vaquitas remaining, including at least one calf. The population has drastically declined from about 600 in 1997, primarily due to illegal fishing for totoaba, whose swim bladders are highly valued in Chinese medicine and can sell for up to $10,000 in Asia.
Rojas-Bracho mentioned that if no more vaquitas are harmed, the few remaining porpoises could potentially repopulate the species.
However, he emphasized the necessity for better tracking of fishing boats, improved monitoring, and the adoption of safer fishing methods that do not endanger the vaquita.
Gerardo Ceballos, a biologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, stated that allowing the vaquita to go extinct would be a moral failure.
“What’s happening to the vaquita is a foretold death,” he said. “We have reduced the protected area without the actual ability to enforce regulations; we are yielding to pressure from groups that want to exploit a larger area.”
Ceballos criticized the minimal government investment in vaquita protection and expressed concern that the porpoise is on the road to extinction.
“If the vaquita goes extinct, it won’t solve issues of insecurity or poverty in the region. Mexico would lose a symbol,” he added. “There is a possibility for hope if actions are taken. We must continue to work with that hope.”