The vaquita will be the second cetacean species driven to extinction by humans

Abstract

Within the interior of the Upper Gulf of California lives a small marine cetacean called Vaquita marina (Phocoena sinus). Limited habitat and by-catch by gillnet has resulted in the reduction of its population to 154 individuals, making it endangered. The Mexican federal government has taken environmental and economic actions to protect and encourage its conservation. Economic action was taken in January 2008 through a program of buy-out fishing permits, as a solution to reduce by-catch deaths to zero. However, as of December of 2011, only 340 permits have been withdrawn which is coupled with the refusal of the public to surrender fishing permits because fishing is the most important economic activity in the region. The transformation of fishing activities into tourism services is still not the solution to save the vaquita from extinction. This problem requires developing a viable economic alternative and proper management of the social aspects of the communities involved. The authorities have few years to find a solution before the vaquita is the second species to disappear due to human activities.