The vaquita is a critically endangered porpoise. Its name means "little cow" in Spanish. They have distinctive dark rings around their eyes. They inhabit the Gulf of California (GOC), Sea of Cortez, Mexico. The Gulf of California is considered one of the most biologically diverse marine areas in the world, hosting a variety of fish and marine mammal species. The vaquita is a keystone species that regulates fish, squid, and crustaceans in the area and is considered an indicator species, reflecting the overall health of the ecosystem. 

Porpoises are small marine mammals of the cetacean family. They are generally smaller in size than dolphins. There are only seven species of porpoise. Porpoises are generally shy and don't approach boats like dolphins do. The most popular and well-known porpoise is the harbor porpoise. 

Current Strategies - 

1. Enforcing No Gillnet Fishing Zones

• Gill nets are nearly invisible in turbid or dark conditions

• Gillnet Activity was legally banned in the Upper GOC in 2017; however, illegal gillnets are still deployed

• Gaps: Weak enforcement, small zero tolerance zone, lack of compliance, organized crime, inadequate resources

2.  Prevent Black Market Involvement

• Totoaba is a fish endemic to GOC, similar size to vaquita

• Illegal harvesting of totoaba bladders, individual bladders sell up to ~130-250K, main use of illegal gillnets

• Active Patrols, Enforcements and Military

• Gaps: organized crime, limited monitoring and resources

3. Alternative Gear programs 

• Examples: Small Trawl nets, Suripera Nets, Danish Siene

• Gaps: Higher fuel costs, Lower catch efficiency, Still in experimental phase/not widely deployed, Bycatch is still a possibility

4. Fixed protected Areas in Upper GOC

• Defined geographical space which is recognized, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means to achieve long-term conservation

• Examples: Vaquita Refuge Area, Upper GOC and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve, Gillnet Exclusion Zone

• Gaps: Incomplete coverage, illegal fishing persists

5. Increase Education and Awareness Campaign

• Targeting local fisherman and global consumers about the vaqutias and climate change

• Encourage community compliance

• Examples: Salvemos un Amigo (WWF), Save the Vaquita campaign (Porpoise conservation society), Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

• Gaps: Limited impact on organized crime, behavior change is slow, Climate change is a global threat

6. Community Engagement With Locals

• Work with indigenous groups to support conservation (Cocopah)

• Government supported alternative livelihood and incentive programs

• Ex: PACE, PROCODES/PROCER

• Gaps: Distrust in government, compensation may not be sufficient

Proposed Strategies - 

1. Switch From World Heritage Site to Marine Protected Area

• World Heritage Site (UNESCO) is an honorary designation for places with “outstanding universal value”

• Does NOT ban fishing activities

• Marine Protected Area (MPA) is legally designated by the national government and allows for…

  • Stronger Legal Enforcement

  • Direct control over fishing activities

  • Increase in Funding

  • More management authority

• Gaps: Requires political will, failed transition attempts in the past

2. Digital Monitoring

• Expanding the use of drones and satellite imagery for real time monitoring

• Detect of illegal activity

• Monitor vaquita populations

• Integrate with local fleets for rapid time responses

• Examples: SEA HAWC drone (National Marine Mammal Foundation)

• Gaps: Social stigma, weather and visibility restraints, requires ground-enforcement follow-up, high initial cost

3. Dynamic Protected Zones

• Protected areas that shift with real time with vaquita population migration

• Combination of drones and acoustic monitoring to track movements

• Overcomes limits of fixed protected areas

  • Protects Vaquitas when outside of a designated zone

• Gaps: Complex to operate in real time, requires high coordination and consistent monitoring, may confuse fishers with frequent changing boundaries