Vaquita Habitat Investigation in Mexico

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is in Mexican waters to investigate illegal fishing in the Gulf of California to ensure the marine reserve is sufficiently enforced. Greenpeace Mexico recently revealed new evidence from an investigation showing the continued illegal presence of gillnets in the area, which are contributing to the rapidly declining numbers of vaquita. This is despite the establishment of a marine reserve on April 10, 2015 by President Enrique Peña Nieto to protect the species, while securing the future of local fishermen in San Felipe and Santa Clara.
The vaquita, a rare porpoise endemic to the northern part of the Gulf of California, are being caught up in nets that are used to capture another endangered species called the totoaba. The totoaba’s swim bladders are dried and prized as a delicacy in China, fetching prices as high as HKD 5 million (USD 645,000) according to a source in a Greenpeace East Asia investigation in May 2015.
“Forbidden gillnets are all over the the bay and the direct result is that more vaquitas are in danger – not less as we had been led to believe. While the Mexican government has taken steps to protect them, it is not enough. A marine reserve is an empty declaration without the proper resources and commitment to enforcement,” said Silvia Diaz, Campaign Manager in Greenpeace Mexico.