And what's also crazy, is that 97 is still an outrageously low amount!! And now we think that's a big amount compared to today!97?! A population decline of nearly 90 animals in less than 7.5 years!
Can the Vaquita porpoise be saved ?
- Thread starter vogelcommando
- Start date
It's a pity that the vaquita didn't get some of the support that conservationists give to better know animals
It's had a lot of support from conservationists, and huge support from the AZA. Unfortunately, that's not all it takes to save a species. You need the support of the local government and those who live around the species, too.
Bengal Tiger
Well-Known Member
If The people get more interested in the animals, then they could potentially pressure the government into helping save them, sadly this has not happened.
I went to an exhibition at London's Natural History Museum today. It included film of vaquitas and the comment that they can't be kept in captivity.
They probably could be if someone attempted to.
Bengal Tiger
Well-Known Member
Nobody did, though. It’s a bit too late for any kind of captive breeding program now, though how well that would have worked I don’t know. We need to learn a lesson from this that we as a species should have learned centuries ago, sadly (but unsurprisingly) we haven’t.
The film implied that conservationists had tried and failed to keep vaquitas in captivity
Capture attempts were made made as a first step towards a captive breeding programme, but each time the individual captured suffered acute stress, and in one case died, so no further captures were attempted.
The Plan to Rescue a Nearly Extinct Porpoise Goes Terribly Awry
The Plan to Rescue a Nearly Extinct Porpoise Goes Terribly Awry
EU emite consulta a México sobre la protección a la vaquita marina bajo las reglas del T-MEC
US government inquires if the lack of protección of the vaquita under the current. Mexican administration violates enviromental rules from the North América trade agreement.
US government inquires if the lack of protección of the vaquita under the current. Mexican administration violates enviromental rules from the North América trade agreement.
‘Manotazo’ de EU a México por ‘descuido’ a vaquita marina: pide consulta bajo el T-MEC
And according to this news report the US government May consider trade sanctions against México if the vaquita goes extinct.
And according to this news report the US government May consider trade sanctions against México if the vaquita goes extinct.
Given that the US shares the Gulf with Mexico it should set up a concurrent vaquita conservation program. That might be contentious, but given the experience of Sea World and like cetacean organisations with captive husbandry relevance they need to be seen to intervene. To allow a species to go extinct is just taking it to extremes, nay nigh on unacceptable.
Mea maxima culpa, Ouch! In all the fervour surrounding the imminent demise of this iconic species, I mistakenly assumed. The historical distribution according to IUCN Red List: Always (??) restricted to the northern part of the (Baja) Gulf of California.It doesn't - the Gulf of California is entirely bordered by Mexico
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
A non rhetoric question: How can we avoid the imminent extinction of the vaquita?
At this point, I truly think we cannot.
The only measure which would potentially save them, in my opinion, would be to take the entire population into captivity and attempt to breed them there, but there is zero chance anyone would take that chance for political reasons, ARA reasons, and the fear that something would go wrong and the attempt would kill the final individuals (as more or less happened with Toolache Wallaby).
The problem is that their doom is certain without it.... personally I'd take the 10% chance that taking them into captivity might save them over the 100% knowledge doing nothing would doom them.
I do agree ... it is really kind of what I meant when posting. I find it ridiculously infuriating that a politically correct US administration continues to threaten their Mexican couxterparts with economic exclusion measures, but hopelessly fails and botched any credible attempt at saving the vaquite porpoise. Sea World's sites in southern US are certainly well equipped to deal with any cetecean mammal challenge and the 10% chance of success is infinitely higher and preferable over a dead stagemate leading to total extinction. It puts kind of a shame on humanity we again allowed this to happen.
That is a plain inaccuracy and fodder from the uninformed, there is almost wilful ignorance in that attitude! We may not have experience with vaquita in captivity, but we do with herbouw porpoise species similar in ecology.
I do feel ex situ action is now the one and only option, the last report. As in the wilds they are not going to survive. We have too many examples of cetaceans going extinct on our watch, viz f.i. even if it is a freshwater spp. Chinese baiji.
Estimado @carlos55, I assume you feel strongly about their plight. What do you think is the best way forward?
The North America Trade agreement between The US, México and Canada states that the 3 countries will follow the same enviromental limits and orientation so that all 3 nations are equal in this regard and that industry and commerce will not be affected by One country allowing unfair advantages due to lack of enviromental action. Allowing a endangered species to go extinct in order to favor commercial interests would go against the North American trade agreement and so the US is considering sanctions against México if the vaquita goes extinct.
Still a little hope ??? :
https://phys.org/news/2022-04-mexic...pnQ2P2jBL83S_LRgS5YKC3DVKPYK6l5l0z43SqzI8r32U
https://phys.org/news/2022-04-mexic...pnQ2P2jBL83S_LRgS5YKC3DVKPYK6l5l0z43SqzI8r32U