Ocean Sentry
Little known beyond the waters of the Gulf of California, the world”s smallest cetacean (a group including whales, dolphins, and porpoises) is hanging on by a thread. The vaquita—which in Spanish means “little cow”—has recently gained the dubious distinction of not only being the world”s smallest cetacean, but the also the world”s rarest. In 2006 it was announced that the Yangtze river dolphin, or baiji, was likely extinct, and conservationists fear the Critically Endangered “little cow” is next. An expedition for this year is set to identify vaquita individuals, but even this is threatened by lack of funding.
As far as researchers know the vaquita is threatened by one thing and one thing only: gillnets used to catch the local fish totoaba (which is also considered Critically Endangered). “The vaquita has declined dramatically as a result of bycatch in gillnets. A gillnet ban is now in place in the ‘Vaquita Conservation Zone’, though their use continues illegally. The government has started schemes such as temporary ‘buy-outs’, ‘swap-outs’ and ‘rent-outs’ to encourage alternatives,” explains Nowlan. The Mexican Government has proven proactive over the last few years to protect the vaquita, however more needs to be done, including basic research to understand the animal….
To donate: https://escafunruns.workwithus.org/Fundraising/Donate.aspx?page=5374
For more information on the expedition: Expedition Vaquita: 2010
For more information on the vaquita: EDGE Profile
