Vaquita in the spotlight

The Critically Endangered vaquita (phocoena sinus) was the focus of both scientific and popular attention this spring.

In February and March 2026, the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (Comité Internacional para la Recuperación de la Vaquita, CIRVA) held two virtual meetings, collectively constituting its 13th annual meeting. The Committee focused on providing scientific and technical advice on proposed modifications to Mexico’s 2020 Fisheries Regulatory Agreement for the Upper Gulf of California. CIRVA welcomed efforts to revise the Agreement to address long-standing enforcement challenges and emphasized that vaquita conservation depends on effective enforcement, the elimination of gillnets from its habitat, and a transition to vaquita-safe fishing practices. At the same time, CIRVA expressed concern that the proposed measures do not fully protect all areas where vaquitas were detected in 2025, particularly a shallow northwestern area that remains outside effective protection, and highlighted the need for immediate, enforceable measures, stronger enforcement, and continued support for the transition to vaquita-safe fisheries. The full CIRVA 13 report can be accessed on the CSG CIRVA Archives page here.

Also in March, the vaquita was one of 64 threatened species selected to participate in the Indianapolis Zoo, T-Fiber ‘Uproar Challenge‘. The Challenge, which mirrored a popular US university basketball tournament, involved 5 successive rounds of voting, with species matched against each other for successive rounds of online voting by members of the public. The CSG nominated the vaquita based on its Critically Endangered status and proximity to the US. A groundswell of support from CSG members and a wide network of cetacean conservation organisations who created multiple social media posts encouraging votes for the vaquita ensured that the vaquita made it to the final round, winning a prize of 3000 USD that will be used to support community involvement in vaquita conservation efforts. The overall winner was surprisingly the Bolivian ornate tiger beetle, which was featured in national media in Bolivia, generating hundreds of thousands of votes. The Challenge and the media around it helped to raise awareness of this Critically Endangered Species and its conservation needs. Thank you to our CSG members and followers who helped the vaquita advance all the way to the final round!