Update on the Vaquita

In June 2016, we reported that the survey conducted in September–December 2015 had shown that only about 60 vaquitas were left (as detailed in the CIRVA-7 report). Despite valiant efforts by the Mexican government and NGOs, it clear that illegal gillnet fishing for totoaba, the primary driver for the vaquita’s dramatic recent decline, continues. The acoustic monitoring program in summer 2016 found that the decline rate has accelerated, making extinction imminent. For more information, see the NOAA Fisheries website.

Also, note that a new CIRVA report (CIRVA-8 in late November 2016) and a new abundance estimate will be released in due course and communicated here on the IUCN/SSC CSG news feed.