Vaquita Porpoise Could Go Extinct This Year Thanks to 'Fishing Cartels'

Vaquita Porpoise Could Go Extinct This Year Thanks to 'Fishing Cartels'

5 years ago
Anonymous $oIHRkISgaL

http://www.newsweek.com/vaquita-nearly-extinct-mexico-illegal-fishing-1048558

One of the world’s most endangered marine mammals could face extinction as soon as this year if an illegal fishing operation continues to tangle and kill the porpoises as bycatch.

The vaquita, a petite porpoise native only to Mexico’s northern Gulf of California, is a casualty of the black market for totoaba, another endangered and protected fish killed and sold for its prized swim bladder.  As conservation initiatives flounder and local fishermen continue to profit off the illegal trade, the vaquita's population has dwindled from 600 to fewer than 30 in the last 20 years.