30 Vaquitas

Savannah Starkey
Jul 10, 2017 · 3 min read
1 of 30 vaquita left

Vaquita (phocoena sinus) are mammals that live in the northern Gulf of California. The mammal was discovered in 1958, and is now the rarest mammal in the world. The vaquita is a small porpoise that grows up to five feet and weighs up to 120 pounds. Vaquitas have white and grey markings, dark rings around the eyes, and dark spots on their lips. Right now, there are only 30 vaquita left in existence, which is considered critically endangered.

Location of vaquita

If the vaquita becomes extinct, the food web in the northern Gulf will drastically change. Vaquita feed on many small fish, and are prey to white sharks, and killer whales. The decrease in vaquitas means that the small fish population will increase, making the plankton population decrease rapidly. If there is a decrease in plankton, there would be a possibility of the decline of baleen whales.

Since the 1970’s the vaquita population has been decreasing. Fisherman that used gill-nets to catch totoaba were the main cause for the decrease in vaquita. While swimming, the vaquita would become entangled in the nets. By becoming entangled, the vaquita cannot swim to the surface for air. Because of gill-nets, it’s estimated that 39 vaquita die each year from entanglement. By 2018, vaquita are expected to become extinct. Bringing back the vaquita would have an impact on the environmental world, and would not disrupt the food chain in the northern Gulf as much.

Vaquita entangled in gill-net

Former President Barack Obama and Mexico’s President, Enrique Peña Nieto, have come together to try and create regulations for Vaquita safe fishing. WWF is currently trying to convince Mexico on banning gill-net fishing. They are also working on trying to halt illegal trading of the totoaba fish.

Since the population of vaquita has already rapidly decreased, there are very few things we can do to help now. However WWF and the porpoise conservation community always recommends spreading the word, and buying sustainable seafood.

References:

Savannah Starkey

Written by

UC DMC Class of 2020

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