In 1995, vaquita were listed as endangered under the ESA. In July 2017, a federal agreement permanently banned all gillnets within the vaquita’s range in the Gulf of California, except those used for fishing two species: curvina and sierra.
The vaquita is the most endangered cetacean in the world. With as few as around 10 left, the species will become extinct without a fully enforced gillnet ban throughout their entire habitat. WWF is urgently working to ensure they can live and thrive in their natural habitat.
Moreover, why are the vaquitas endangered?
Ban on Gill-net Fishing in the Sea of Cortez.
Vaquitas and other animals like sea turtles can become entangled in the nets and drown. “ They’re going extinct because of human activities, even though it could be avoided,” said Jorge Urbán.
Vaquitas share waters with the much sought-after totoaba fish and fishing nets inadvertently catch and drown the porpoise.
Can the vaquita be saved from extinction?
The window of opportunity for saving the vaquita is closing fast, but extinction is still preventable. You can help by making the right choices at the supermarket, by donating to conservation efforts, or simply by spreading the word.
We can see if we can figure it out! this little porpoise was only discovered in 1958, yet it’s already on the brink of extinction.
Vaquitas are the only porpoise species adapted to living in warm water . Most porpoises inhabit water that is cooler than 20 o C (68 o F) whereas vaquita are able to tolerate water that fluctuates from 14 o C (57 o F) in the winter to 36 o C (97 o F) in the summer.
What happened to the vaquita?
Once scientists recognized the vaquita as a species, they also realized that small-scale and commercial fisheries were accidentally catching vaquitas. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1970s, the gillnet fishery for totoaba severely overfished vaquita.
The vaquita will be extinct if fishery bycatch is not eliminated immediately. Nearly one out of every five vaquita get entangled and drown in gillnets intended for other marine species like the totoaba, a critically endangered fish also found in the upper Gulf of California.
How many Vaquitas are left in the Gulf?
Unauthorized use is prohibited. In the Gulf of California, fewer than 19 vaquitas are left . What can conservationists learn before the species dies out completely? This story appears in the October 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine. One of the world’s most endangered marine animals is a pint-size porpoise known as the vaquita.
Why are the spotted tail quolls endangered by humans?
This species is vulnerable to decline because it requires certain climates and habitats, it tends to live in low densities, it is likely to compete with introduced predators and requires much space, and it does not live very long. The biggest threat to the quoll is habitat destruction.