As part of the actions carried out by the Government of Mexico for the conservation and protection of the vaquita marina (Phocoena sinus), the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) reported on the 2023 Vaquita Marina Observation Cruise, which will take place from May 10 to 27 in the Zero tolerance in the Upper Gulf of California, in the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve.
The objective of this cruise, the third to be carried out in the present administration, is to determine the number of vaquita specimens through acoustic and visual monitoring, whose information will be analyzed based on a scientific consensus methodology. All sighting events will be described in evidence files by observers.
The head of Semarnat, María Luisa Albores González, highlighted the collaboration between the Government of Mexico, civil organizations and fishing communities in the Upper Gulf region to be able to carry out this conservation work.
He thanked the participation of Sea Shepherd, which in recent years has supported its vessels in detecting, transporting and eliminating ghost nets, as well as in carrying out the vaquita observation cruises in 2019 and 2021.
Likewise, he highlighted the support of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Secretary of the Navy (Semar), which provided the specialized equipment to carry out these tasks.
Visual and acoustic monitoring
The national commissioner of Protected Natural Areas, Adán Peña, detailed the steps that the cruise will take to collect visual and acoustic data and be able to estimate the distribution of the vaquita within the Zero Tolerance Zone.
For this, he explained that two components will be considered, one of them is acoustic monitoring with 55 detectors that will be anchored in the area to detect signals during the afternoon and night. This system will be operated by a fleet of fishermen from San Felipe.
The second component will be visual monitoring by Sea Shepherd and NOAA experts, who will use high-range binoculars known as “big eyes” to get a broad view. In addition, the training of a group of Mexicans as specialized observers is contemplated.
Pritam Singh, president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, pointed out that this cruise will help establish the steps to follow in collaboration with the Government of Mexico to protect the little cow, which is the main purpose. He commented that Operation Miracle, which they have been carrying out with 12 federal agencies for nine years to remove ghost nets, has managed to reduce illegal totoaba fishing by 79%, according to data collected in 2022.
trained observers
The vaquita is an endemic mammal of the Upper Gulf of California that has the most restricted distribution of any cetacean around the world. It feeds on 20 to 21 species of fish, squid, and shallow-water crustaceans and is elusive, so sighting it requires trained observers and specialized equipment.
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5 keys about the vaquita porpoise
1. Critically Endangered
Its population is estimated to be less than 10 individuals in the wild.
2. Main threats
Illegal fishing for totoaba, a fish that is also in danger of extinction and whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy in Asia. The vaquita porpoise dies in the nets of poachers.
3. Size and appearance
It is about 1.5 meters long and weighs about 55 kilograms. It has a rounded head and a small mouth with sharp teeth. Its body is dark gray above and white below.
4. Habitat
It lives exclusively in the Gulf of California, in northwestern Mexico. It prefers shallow waters and estuaries, and has been observed mainly in the northern part of the gulf.
5. Playback
It has a very low reproductive rate, with a single calf born every two years. Gestation lasts around 10 months and the young are born in the spring.
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