Vaquita, the world's rarest marine mammal, is on the edge of extinction. Until recently, many people thought vaquitas were mythical creatures as few people had ever seen one. Fishermen receive around $4,000 for each pound of totoaba swim bladder, equivalent to half a year's income from legal fishing activities. Nearly one out of every five vaquita get entangled and drown in gillnets intended for other marine species like the totoaba, a critically endangered fish also found in the upper Gulf of California. The vaquita has a large dark ring around its eyes and dark patches on its lips that form a thin line from the mouth to the pectoral fins. Besides … They were not discovered or named until 1958 when three skulls were found on the beach. They were first described scientifically in 1958 by Ken Norris and Bill McFarland. And, there were actually some fishermen that came out actually on the research vessel, both in an earlier survey as well as during that time. With continued illegal totoaba fishing and uncontrolled bycatch of vaquitas, the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) recommended that some vaquitas be removed from the high-density fishing area and be relocated to protected sea pens. The environmental organization Sea Shepherd said it found a dead vaquita in a gillnet on March 12. DR7488708 of SEMARNAT (Mexican National Commission of Protected Natural Areas). The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), literally "little cow", is a species of porpoise endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez, Vermilion Sea). We have been working with Mexican scientists, government representatives, and other partners and collaborators to develop a long-term strategy for the conservation of the species. This competition is evidenced by the presence of sexual dimorphism (females are larger than males), small group sizes, and large testes (accounting for nearly 3% of body mass). [22], To date, efforts have been unsuccessful in solving the complex socioeconomic and environmental issues that affect vaquita conservation and the greater Gulf of California ecosystem. Welcome to Cash Chahiye Loan Agency (+91) 9414160037 Search for: Home; About; Services. ... their population is still declining. Vaquitas were scientifically discovered as a new species in 1958. [6], The genus Phocoena comprises four species of porpoise, most of which inhabit coastal waters (the spectacled porpoise is more oceanic). Averaging 150 cm (4.9 ft) (females) or 140 cm (4.6 ft) (males) in length, it is the smallest of all living cetaceans. With as few as around 10 left, the species will become extinct without a fully enforced gillnet ban throughout their entire habitat. It has a small body with an unusually tall, triangular dorsal fin, a rounded head, and no distinguished beak. Some vaquitas have individually … The most precise and accurate of the four estimates was 224 individuals (CV = 0.39) in 1993. In the 1940s people began using gill nets to find a fish called Totoaba, which is now extinct. The vaquita is a tiny (less than 2 m long) porpoise found only in the Upper Gulf of California (aka Sea of Cortez), Mexico. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most endangered. They are most often found close to shore in the Gulf's shallow waters, although they quickly swim away if a boat approaches. Prominent black patches surround its lips and eyes. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. If anything, vaquita have had more to eat since the gillnet ban was implemented as the measure has helped fish stocks recover from many years of over-fishing. But its natural predator, the shark, is not its biggest threat. [19] Despite the progress made with legal fishermen, hundreds of poachers continued to fish in the exclusion zone. We also ask that the US and China help stamp out the illegal trade in totoaba products and provide enforcement support to the Mexican government, without which vaquitas will go the way of the dodo. [18], The vaquita is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. One day later, scientists from the group CIRVA announced that around 10 — as many … Today, international trade in totoaba is banned under CITES, a global agreement among governments to regulate or ban international trade in species under threat, but high demand from China for its swim bladder has led to a boom in illegal totoaba fishing in the past few years. Join us to make change. [9] While an initial analysis of stranded vaquitas estimated a two-year calving interval, recent sightings data suggest that vaquitas can reproduce annually. According to CIRVA in its 2012 survey and reported by the Marine Mammal Center , there were roughly 200 individuals left in the wild. 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