Here's a video I made a few days ago of the currently un-used vaquita capture pen off-shore of San Felipe. The capture effort has stopped due to the
death by stress of a female vaquita captured by VaquitaCPR. The vaquita is a porpoise endemic to the northern Gulf of California. It has become
critically endangered (maybe 30 left) because fishermen set gillnets for the (also) endangered totoaba, a species of sea bass. The fishermen sell the
totoaba's swim bladder for high prices to dealers in China because of its purported medicinal qualities ("cocaine of the sea"). The vaquita's primary
threat and the reason for their dramatic population decline is drowning in those gillnets. #VaquitaCPR decided that they would try and catch the few
remaining vaquita, place them in the pen and hope they'd breed. VaquitaCPR first caught a juvenile and separated her from her mother before releasing
her. Then they caught an adult female which promptly died from capture myopathy. The real and only solution is full enforcement of the gillnet ban and
removal of all gillnets from vaquita habitat.
Here's the video of the pen: Vaquita Capture PenDavid K - 12-3-2017 at 06:59 PM
Thanks Greg.
Who in the world thought that putting free-wild animals, with the entire sea to live in, in that tiny place, was a good idea?
Stress indeed!
A couple of navy ships on patrol to enforce the law should have done it?BornFisher - 12-3-2017 at 07:15 PM
Pen looks fine for a fish. Not so fine for a mammal.
Rooting for the vaquita, maybe there is an undiscovered pod somewhere. There are rumors!!ncampion - 12-4-2017 at 01:03 PM
Looks like another well intentioned bad idea. I hope for the best.
[Edited on 12-4-2017 by ncampion]Russ - 12-4-2017 at 02:04 PM
It is a sad situation all around, for the porpoise, fishermen, ecosystems and the inept government programs . Mexico really must rethink their
sponsorship of netting in the SOC and probable other areas also. What a huge change I've witnessed in my short 25+ years here. In those years the West
coast of the US has mostly worked out some good programs and most fisheries are improving. From my limited knowledge at least. I know the US can do
more and progress is slow. Somehow there is enough funds to support some programs and enforcement. Some good laws are here also but the funding and
corruption really have ruined any hope for the laws to work. These thoughts and been discussed many many times so I'll stop my rant.sancho - 12-4-2017 at 02:06 PM
Gringorio, Reading recently Sea Shepard is not in favor
the capture of Vaquitas? Am I remembering that correct?
Not that you speak for SS nor are the pens Sea Shepardsgringorio - 12-4-2017 at 04:11 PM
Gringorio, Reading recently Sea Shepard is not in favor
the capture of Vaquitas? Am I remembering that correct?
Not that you speak for SS nor are the pens Sea Shepards
Sancho, that is correct. Sea Shepherd is not in favor of capture, but instead removing the illegal totoaba gillnets. As some may now, there are two
ships there now working 24/7 to find and remove the nets. A third ship will soon be joining the effort. I'll be heading back in January to fly drones
for them.
I wish that the millions spent by VaquitaCPR was spent on net removal patrols and job-training programs for impacted fishermen. As Russ stated, it is
a sad situation for all involved.
Haha! Be careful, it's getting a bit tense out there
What sort of a reception does Sea Shepard boats get when they
refuel, I presume at the commercial pier in the San Felipe Harbor? Not sure I would sport a Sea Shepard shirt strolling
down the SF Malecon
