All hands on deck to save the vaquitas
News
In May this year, you helped remove ghost gear from the Gulf of California, Mexico – home to the vaquita porpoise, one of the most critically endangered sea animals in the world
There are fewer than 30 vaquitas left today. They live in the Gulf of California, Mexico, and all of them are at risk of becoming entangled and killed in abandoned fishing nets (‘ghost gear’).
“Ghost nets from illegal fishing are the biggest contributors to the decline of the vaquita population,” said Elizabeth Hogan, Oceans and Wildlife Campaign Manager, World Animal Protection US.
The small porpoises risk becoming trapped in the nets and drowning in slow, painful deaths.
With your support, World Animal Protection joined forces with the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) and Monterey Bay Diving to find and remove ghost gear from the Gulf of California.
Illegal fishing is a huge problem in the Gulf of California. This area also happens to be home to another critically endangered animal – the totoaba fish. Totoabas are prized for their swim bladders in traditional medicine, and fetch very high prices in China.
Many illegal totoaba fishers anchor their nets, and then simply abandon them instead of retrieving them before they move on to fish other waters when the fish migrate. The abandoned nets are left in the waters, where they can trap and kill vaquitas.
Using unique sonar scanning technology, our team found and collected ghost fishing nets – essentially floating death traps for the few vaquitas left in the region. More than 5,700 square metres of net was removed in total.
This win in the fight to save the vaquitas from death and extinction wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our supporters.
Main image credit: Paula Olson/NOAA
Our team removed ghost fishing nets – essentially floating death traps for the few vaquitas left in the region. More than 5,700 square metres of net was removed in total.