Vaquita porpoise sacrificed for political gain; observers fear extinction will follow
'The vaquita are being mismanaged to death'
Published on Wednesday, July 21, 2021
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The federal government’s decision to scrap a no-fishing zone in the upper Gulf of California will likely lead to the extinction of the critically endangered vaquita marina porpoise, according to two environmental sector professionals.
Last week, Mexico officially abandoned its policy of maintaining a “zero tolerance” fishing zone that was implemented to protect the vaquita, of which fewer than a dozen are believed to remain.
The “zero tolerance” zone has been replaced with a sliding scale of sanctions if more than 60 boats are repeatedly seen in the area — where totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China and sells for thousands of dollars per kilogram, coexist with the vaquitas.