Can the Vaquita porpoise be saved ?

[vogelcommando]

Latest news about the battle to save the species :

Violent battle playing out to save the last 22 vaquitas, the world's most endangered porpoise

 

[TinoPup]

How did it go from 97 to 22 in less than 5 years?

 

[Chlidonias]

How did it go from 97 to 22 in less than 5 years?

It is purely from gill-netting. The coastal range exactly coincides with the best places for setting nets, and because it is illegal there is no way to enforce restrictions.

In 1997 there were an estimated 600 animals. By 2015 there were less than 100. Half of those were killed between 2015 and 2016. By 2017 there were only about 30 animals remaining.

There's a good chance the species will become completely extinct this year, almost definitely by next year. With such a small number remaining there really is no hope at all the species will survive, even if they were somehow all captured and put in pens.

 

[birdsandbats]

With such a small number remaining there really is no hope at all the species will survive, even if they were somehow all captured and put in pens.

I completely disagree; I think there is a good chance if they are all captured and put in pens.

 

[SpinyLiving]

It's terrible how ignorance from the general public led to this. We knew that they were rapidly going exctinct back in 1997. Why wasn't more done to save them while we could?

 

[Daktari JG]

I think there is a good chance if they are all captured and put in pens.

Unfortunately the first one they captured died and they discontinued that effort

Why wasn't more done to save them while we could?

Mainly because its Mexico. But the US could have should have done much more to stop the totoaba trade.

 

[Chlidonias]

I completely disagree; I think there is a good chance if they are all captured and put in pens.

You think there's a good chance of the species' survival if they catch 22 individuals of a dolphin for which literally nothing is known of its requirements for basic captive care, let alone breeding?

 

[TheMightyOrca]

It is purely from gill-netting. The coastal range exactly coincides with the best places for setting nets, and because it is illegal there is no way to enforce restrictions.

In 1997 there were an estimated 600 animals. By 2015 there were less than 100. Half of those were killed between 2015 and 2016. By 2017 there were only about 30 animals remaining.

There's a good chance the species will become completely extinct this year, almost definitely by next year. With such a small number remaining there really is no hope at all the species will survive, even if they were somehow all captured and put in pens.

Adding in, vaquitas have a very small native range. Like, it's tiny. Seriously, look it up, it's itty bitty. That makes the species all the more vulnerable.

Governments and conservation organizations took waaaaaaay too long to take any action. Everyone who had significant ability to help waited until the situation got severely critical before they decided to do something. I don't recall seeing any serious discussion until the population went below 100.

I really wish they attempted the capture and captivity 10 years ago. Then there would have been some room for error. But they didn't try until there were like, 30 left, and it's like, okay, if one of them dies from this that's a significant portion of the population. I only reluctantly supported it because it seems like the vaquita is in a go big or go home situation.

 

[Chlidonias]

Adding in, vaquitas have a very small native range. Like, it's tiny. Seriously, look it up, it's itty bitty. That makes the species all the more vulnerable.

Governments and conservation organizations took waaaaaaay too long to take any action. Everyone who had significant ability to help waited until the situation got severely critical before they decided to do something. I don't recall seeing any serious discussion until the population went below 100.

I really wish they attempted the capture and captivity 10 years ago. Then there would have been some room for error. But they didn't try until there were like, 30 left, and it's like, okay, if one of them dies from this that's a significant portion of the population. I only reluctantly supported it because it seems like the vaquita is in a go big or go home situation.

Yeah, exactly. Now the species is certainly extinct if they leave it in the wild and it is almost-certainly extinct if they try and capture them all for captive breeding. I'm certainly not suggesting doing nothing to try and save the species, but it really is far too late.

It is worth noting, too, that being a cetacean there is no comparison to what have been comparitively-easy situations like the Californian Condor (as an example of a species where a few remaining animals were brought back from the brink through captive breeding).

 

[Daktari JG]

California condors had never bred in captivity, probably never even been in captivity until they rounded up the last few. So I don't know how comparitively easy it was.

 

[TinoPup]

I don't think there's a shot at it being saved. Even if they managed to capture them all and keep them alive in captivity, they don't reproduce or grow at the speed of black footed ferrets, condors, or other species that have been saved with numbers that low. And that's given a perfect scenario; the likelihood of it going perfectly is basically 0, they will have at least a few losses, a few that aren't caught, a few more killed by illegal nets (no matter what they do to try and stop the fishermen, there's still going to be several breaking the laws who don't care). It's heartbreaking to lose another cetacean so soon after the baiji.

 

[Chlidonias]

California condors had never bred in captivity, probably never even been in captivity until they rounded up the last few. So I don't know how comparitively easy it was.

Andean Condors had been widely-kept and successfully bred in zoos, and are a direct equivalent species. As a captive species, Californian Condors are also directly comparable to many other birds of prey. There is really no equivalent species for Vaquitas which is or has been successful in captivity. Bottlenose Dolphins, for example, are nothing like Vaquitas in size, ecology, etc.

 

[carlos55]

The new mexican government under president Andrés Manuel López Obrador is simply stalling on presenting a new va quita protection plan. It is very expensive protecting the vaquitas and the local fishermen are against the program. It is very frustating to see how politics is hurting the vaquitas at this last crucial moment. Another capture program is out of the question, there is no money for that. International pressure for saving the remaining vaquitas would certainly help. Until the last vaquita is gone,the fight to save them must continue.

 

[Kakapo]

Andean Condors had been widely-kept and successfully bred in zoos, and are a direct equivalent species. As a captive species, Californian Condors are also directly comparable to many other birds of prey. There is really no equivalent species for Vaquitas which is or has been successful in captivity. Bottlenose Dolphins, for example, are nothing like Vaquitas in size, ecology, etc.

Except harbour porpoises, that are breeding successfully from time to time by Dolphinarium Harderwijk.

 

[SpinyLiving]

Except harbour porpoises, that are breeding successfully from time to time by Dolphinarium Harderwijk.

Yes, time to time. But time is something that we don't have if we are going to save the vaquitas. By the time we can confirm that one is pregnant who knows how many will be left? And what if the calf is stillborn? Or does shortly after? Then what?

 

[Tim May]

California condors had never bred in captivity, probably never even been in captivity until they rounded up the last few.I

Digressing from the main theme of this thread, Californian condors had definitely been kept in London Zoo, New York (Bronx) Zoo, Washington Zoo and Philadelphia Zoo many years before the last few were "rounded up". I think one was kept in Belle Vue (Manchester) Zoo too.

 

[DavidBrown]

California condors had never bred in captivity, probably never even been in captivity until they rounded up the last few. So I don't know how comparitively easy it was.

There was at least one California condor in captivity since the 1960s, Topa Topa at the LA Zoo, where he still lives.

Digressing from the main theme of this thread, Californian condors had definitely been kept in London Zoo, New York (Bronx) Zoo, Washington Zoo and Philadelphia Zoo many years before the last few were "rounded up". I think one was kept in Belle Vue (Manchester) Zoo too.

And there is one at the LA Zoo also who has been there since the 1960s, the male Topa Topa.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Yes, time to time. But time is something that we don't have if we are going to save the vaquitas. By the time we can confirm that one is pregnant who knows how many will be left? And what if the calf is stillborn? Or does shortly after? Then what?

The only reason that Harbour Porpoise captive breeding has only been "from time to time" is that the captive population has been actively prevented from breeding - all events are, as such, accidental.... so if allowed to breed, one suspects it would happen rather more often.

 

[ZooBinh]

The only reason that Harbour Porpoise captive breeding has only been "from time to time" is that the captive population has been actively prevented from breeding - all events are, as such, accidental.... so if allowed to breed, one suspects it would happen rather more often.

Do you know why their breeding has been prevented?

 

[Kiwi1]

It looks like it is too late but although doubtful I would hope some lessons can be taken.

The main one is that most of the endangered species around the world are found in areas of poverty. It is pointless to come in as rich mostly western outsiders and impose our conservations ethos on people who are struggling to get by. It doesn't matter what laws or rules you bring in if you don't win people who must co exist with a species and its habitat. In this case we see people banned from earning a livlihood and then promised compensation not paid. I am not surprised they continue fishing illegally.

Trying to win with enforcement is only going to make things worse in many situations. Its like having armed guards sleeping beside rhinos its not a longterm winning stratergy. Its even worse if you have foreign activists turn up and wage a virtual war on impoverished local people.

It is truely sad we are losing species all over the place but as I sit in a lifestyle of comparative luxury I find it hard to condem people trying to attain a level of wealth far less than mine (and persumably most other posters here). Unless we can find ways to enable what are often some of the poorest people on the planet to coexist with wildlife and habitats we value but they must live with I think we will see much more of this.