Can the Vaquita porpoise be saved ?

So the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is boating around the Gulf of California and picking up abandoned gill nets to prevent animals from becoming tangled. I don't agree with everything they do but I'm really happy that they're doing this. But they found something terribly unfortunate... A number of animals dead from entanglement, including a vaquita. (warning, the article has a rather gruesome photo)

Sea Shepherd Crew Discover Dead Vaquita, Totoaba and Great White Shark in Refuge - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
 
A couple weeks ago I was at Reid Park Zoo for a conservation series lecture (Cheetah Conservation Fund). The zoo director mentioned to the audience that the zoo's conservation fund is soon going to include the vaquita, which I was very pleased to hear.
 
TheMightyOrca said:
I often think about the possibility of using captive breeding to save endangered cetaceans. If the vaquita population was larger, I'd be willing to consider it for that species, but at 60, I think it's too risky, ya know?

Also, "pandas of the sea"? Pff. They're the goths of the sea!
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It needs to be considered as doing nothing will ensure that the species will be extinct in the next 3 to 5 years. And our handling and husbandry techniques have improved in such a way that it should be feasible without too many losses.
 
DDcorvus said:
It needs to be considered as doing nothing will ensure that the species will be extinct in the next 3 to 5 years. And our handling and husbandry techniques have improved in such a way that it should be feasible without too many losses.
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Still, there hasn't been a whole lot of luck with breeding porpoises in captivity. No use bringing them into captivity if they won't breed. Plus we know so little about vaquitas and their needs, there's no guarantee that what we know about other species would apply to vaquita.
 
TheMightyOrca said:
Still, there hasn't been a whole lot of luck with breeding porpoises in captivity. No use bringing them into captivity if they won't breed. Plus we know so little about vaquitas and their needs, there's no guarantee that what we know about other species would apply to vaquita.
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In Europe with harbour porpoises there has been an active no-breeding policy. There have been accidents and there breeding happened, but if desired there could be a successful breeding population.

And at the moment the lack of enforcement in the golf of California is not going to change. The biggest chance for saving the species is captive management although in what form has to be seen. And we do enough about the Vaquito to know that a captive breeding programme could work.
 
DDcorvus said:
In Europe with harbour porpoises there has been an active no-breeding policy. There have been accidents and there breeding happened, but if desired there could be a successful breeding population.

And at the moment the lack of enforcement in the golf of California is not going to change. The biggest chance for saving the species is captive management although in what form has to be seen. And we do enough about the Vaquito to know that a captive breeding programme could work.
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Yeah, it is true that there haven't been many active attempts to breed porpoises in captivity. Though didn't most of those accidental porpoise calves not live long?

I suppose if a vaquita breed program were to be attempted, it might be preferable to start small with just one pair to minimize the risk. Of course, even getting that pair would be such a huge challenge, vaquitas are so rarely seen alive.
 
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