#porpoises

While the vaquita is not deliberately hunted by humans, its downfall has been the extensive fishing of the totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China.  Gill nets used to catch totoaba have quite literally massacred the vaquita - over 80% of their population disappeared between 2008 and 2015.

Government efforts to preserve the species were perfunctory - “vaquita-safe” nets proved nowhere near as effective as the old gill nets, fishermen rioted when a related fishery was shut down for fear of it being used as a cover for tatoaba poaching (ironic, as that fishery used safer nets), and compensatory monthly checks to men losing their livelihood were meager, sometimes less than a man could make in a single day’s fishing.  The export of tataobas was banned and a marine reserve established, but poaching and smuggling is rampant, and there is little incentive to stop it.  A single tatoaba bladder can bring in $20 000, while the fine for being caught poaching is about $500.  Even now, the controversial Sea Shepherd is one of the few ships patrolling for poachers, and they can do little but film and report them.  In the meantime, dead vaquita continue to be pulled from the waters.

The latest estimates say there may be only 12 vaquita left in the world.  If the vaquita goes extinct, it will be the first extinction of a marine mammal since the loss of the baijiin 2006.

Thevaquita has the most restricted range of any marine cetacean, as they are endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California.  They have evolved to live in shallow, murky water, sometimes so shallow that their backs protrude from the water.  Unlike many other marine animals, they can also cope with the rapid and extreme temperature changes that can occur in shallow water.

Because of the vaquita’s low numbers,  the National Marine Mammal Foundation attempted to start a captive breeding program.  However, after a female vaquita died of stress shortly after being captured, the program was abandoned.  It is unlikely a similar program will be attempted in the future.

Thevaquita is Mexico’s only endemic marine mammal.  The name vaquita is Spanish for “little cow”, and other names for the species include cochito (Spanish for “little pig”), desert porpoise, vaquita porpoise, Gulf of California harbor porpoise, Gulf of California porpoise, and gulf porpoise.

Thevaquita is the world’s smallest cetacean, growing only about 141 centimetres in length.  They are also the most endangered cetacean on the planet, with some marine biologists believing there are as few as 12 individuals left alive.

ICYMI: The Naming of Things this month looked at those tiny little cetaceans-the porpoise!⠀
Photo by @marcusw604⠀
#whaletales #namingofthings #finlessporpoise #porpoises #harbourporpoise #vaquita #porpoisetrivia #salishsea #explorebc #porpoisesareawesome #porpoiseblog #blog #porpoisestory #porpoisesofinstagram #spectacledporpoise #cetaceanstory
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