Mexican Navy hopes to expand net-snagging hooks to protect endangered vaquita porpoises

The Mexican Navy announced on Wednesday that it intends to increase the region where it sinks metal-hooked concrete blocks to snag gill nets that are killing vaquita marina porpoises.

In an effort to help conserve the most endangered marine mammal on the planet, the Navy started releasing the blocks into the Gulf of California last year.

There may be as few as ten vaquitas left in the Gulf, also known as the Sea of Cortez, where they alone exist. They can’t be kept or bred in an enclosed space.

The totoaba, a Gulf fish whose swim bladder is valued as a treasured delicacy in China and sells for hundreds of dollars per pound.

The target of illegal gill nets used to catch the vaquitas, which are captured and drown. The pricey totoaba nets are ruined when the concrete blocks’ hooks snag on them.

That is designe to deter illegal fishermen from putting their pricey equipment at danger in the “zero tolerance area,” a rocky quadrilateral said to be the final refuge for the vaquitas.

Mexican Navy hopes to expand net-snagging

It is so name because that is where the blocks are sunk, where patrols are most intense, and where fishing is ostensibly prohibit, though it occasionally still happens.

Yet when scientists and researchers ventured out in May on the most recent sighting expedition. To seek for vaquitas, a funny thing occurred.

They discovered that the majority of the 16 sightings (some of which may have included the same animal more than once) took place.

outside of the “zero tolerance” area, which was to be the most accommodating location for the animals.

This resulted in the Navy announcing on Wednesday that it will start sinking blocks outside. The zero tolerance zone after holding talks with the fishing village of San Felipe in the state of Baja California.

Vice Admiral Marco Peyrot Sols, the area’s Naval commander.

Said that once a deal with the fishing industry was made, “152 more blocks will be in the freezone adjacent to the zero tolerance area. Where there have been visual or echolocation observations” of vaquitas.

According to the fishermen of San Felipe, the government has not complied with prior promises. To make up for lost revenue as a result of net prohibitions in the region.

They claim that the government hasn’t done anything to Mexican Navy hopes to expand net-snagging advance the development of improved, more environmentally friendly fishing equipment.

According to experts, the most recent observations indicate that 10 to 13 vaquitas are still alive. Which is the same number as was observe during the previous voyage in 2021.

Mexican Navy hopes to expand net-snagging

It is intend to discourage illegal fishermen from risking their expensive equipment in the “zero tolerance area,”. A rocky quadrilateral said to be the last remaining haven for the vaquitas.

It gets its name from the area where the blocks are sunk and patrols are most frequent. Where fishing is allegedly prohibit, but it nevertheless happens periodically.

Nevertheless, a weird thing happened when scientists and researchers went. On the most recent sighting expedition to look for vaquitas in May.

They found that the majority of the 16 sightings, some of which may have included. The same animal more than once occurred. Outside the “zero tolerance” zone, which was intend to be the region where the animals would feel most at ease.