Can the Vaquita porpoise be saved ?

Found this short Al Jazeera documentary from a couple of years back which goes into detail about the efforts to conserve the vaquita that some of you might find it interesting:


I found it interesting because things have obviously badly deteriorated in the years since and apparently "sea shepherd" had just arrived at that point in time when the documentary was made.
 
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Con cierres totales a la pesca, buscan salvar a la vaquita marina de la extinción
The new norms and regulations for the protected area of theVaquita by the Mexican government has been stated and they are very weak. Minimal presence of fishermen is allowed and temporary closure will occur when there are over 60 small vessels. These weak measures have please no one ,both conservationists and fishermen are displeased. By the way, Sea Shepard has definitely left Baja California, since they were hated by the local fishermen for the death of one of their members. However the Mexican navy does not really seem to know how to confront the local fishermen when did break the federal government regulations and norms.
 
carlos55 said:
NGOs blast Mexico’s new vaquita preservation plan
More critics on the current mexican government ‘ s terrible plan to mánage the vaquita and the reduced área where it lives.
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It's terrible but we have to face it, maybe, it is too late to save the Vaquita. On the other hand, we can use the knowledge learnt on Vaquita conservation to save other endangered Porpoise or cetacean species. Things are not only looking bleak on Vaquita Conservation...
 
Jungle Man said:
It's terrible but we have to face it, maybe, it is too late to save the Vaquita. On the other hand, we can use the knowledge learnt on Vaquita conservation to save other endangered Porpoise or cetacean species. Things are not only looking bleak on Vaquita Conservation...
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Sadly I think you are right about this.

Not to say that the effort to conserve the last vaquita should be terminated as I don't think that should happen until it is verified that they are extinct.

However it is all too clear that the chances of doing so are now very slim and the point in which this could have been done has likely passed.

If the species does go extinct I would personally like to see not only the fishing communities and the Mexican government take the blame but also an admission of complicity and acknowledgement from sea shepherd of their role in this extinction too.

Sea shepherd absolutely need to be held to account and this needs to be a hard lesson that highlights to everyone that animal rights activism is different from conservation and largely incompatible.
 
i found this interesting podcast from the bbc
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aH...Ewj44M20kfTxAhWUz4sKHaopAHMQjrkEegQIBRAI&ep=6
even if the seeshepard incident hadent hapend it wood only delay the
inevitable. i alos find it intresting that some of the locals dont belive that the vaquita is real. if the locals dont want to save an animal is it inposiball to do it. even if the vaquita dose become extingt it still inportent to protect rest of the area. as the fish that is the couse for the fishing nets the totoaba is also now listed as critical endangered
 
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carl the birder said:
i found this interesting podcast from the bbc
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aH...Ewj44M20kfTxAhWUz4sKHaopAHMQjrkEegQIBRAI&ep=6
even if the seeshepard incident hadent hapend it wood only delay the
inevitable. i alos find it intresting that some of the locals dont belive that the vaquita is real. if the locals dont want to save an animal is it inposiball to do it. even if the vaquita dose become extingt it still inportent to protect rest of the area. as the fish that is the couse for the fishing nets the totoaba is also now listed as critical endangered
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It's not that they don't want to save the vaquita but rather that they are caught in an impossible socioeconomic and sociopolitical situation complicated by geopolitics.

This on top of ultra violent organized crime and bull **** animal rights activists and an indifferent government which results in a death of a thousand cuts to the development of any values and attitudes that are receptive to conservation.

In a perfect world conservationists (unlike sea shepherd and their Mickey mouse animal rights activists) would have worked closely with that community and helped to develop sustainable livelihoods for the community which would have mitigated or reduced impacts on the porpoises.

That some of the locals don't think it is real is an indicator of how deeply suspicious they are of outside forces (and they have every reason to be) and a feeling that people are out to **** up their livelihoods.
 
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Jungle Man said:
It's terrible but we have to face it, maybe, it is too late to save the Vaquita. On the other hand, we can use the knowledge learnt on Vaquita conservation to save other endangered Porpoise or cetacean species. Things are not only looking bleak on Vaquita Conservation...
Click to expand...
That really is wishful thinking. It is not a first for a small marine mammal to go extinct. The record for freshwater dolphins is even significantly worse. Future generations will not look kindly on Government, AR activism or authorities and people in general. Fact of life we should acknowledge there is too many people on this Planet and questions remain around Are We Really Prepared to Save Biodiversity and Habitats at our Expense. We are not In Control, but Caretakers. Now let us stop wasting time. Shame on Obrador Govt. Mind you environmental activism in Mexico is a profession under the gun and quite a few respected conservation minded folks have lost their lives in Meso America. I do think it is time for some real drastic measures now.
 
It’s not looking too good for the vaquitas, I’m not seeing much hope for the future of these animals. If only something more could have been done :(
 
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