Mexico abandons fishing-free zone for endangered porpoise - Marine Conservation News
"The Mexican government has officially abandoned the policy of maintaining a fishing-free zone around the last ten or so remaining vaquita marina"
There are less than a dozen Vaquita Marina porpoises left in the world and they are only found in a small area in the Upper Gulf of California. They should be looked at with cultural/national pride like the Panda is to China or the Bald Eagle is to the United States. Instead, the Vaquita has dwindled in numbers (from what I remember, there were around 30 left when I was in college about a decade ago).
Now, the Mexican government has ended the fishing-free zones that are important to keeping their numbers up and protect the species from fishing nets and other hazards poised by fishing vessels within the tiny area that has been protected.
The world's most endangered marine mammel is nearing extinction and the government that could stop it, wont.
One conservation expert who is familiar with the case, but who cannot be quoted by name for fear of repercussions, said the new rules “imply not protecting the vaquita.” "
“It appears that fisheries authorities want to drive the vaquita to extinction,” the expert said.
Two ships from the conservationist group Sea Shepherd have worked with Mexican marines to try to grab banned fishing nets from the area, but they are frequently outnumbered and attacked by fishermen, who have no fear at all of the marines.
Read the article from Mark Stevenson of the Associated Press :
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexico-abandons-fishing-free-zone-endangered-porpoise-78853079
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