Why are vaquitas so endangered? Vaquitas share waters with the much sought-after totoaba fish and fishing nets inadvertently catch and drown the porpoise.
Another popular question is “Why is the vaquita endangered?”.
Nearly one out of every five vaquita get entangled and drown in gillnets intended for other marine species like the totoaba, a critically endangered fish also found in the upper Gulf of California. Entanglement in gillnets set for totoaba was the primary cause that brought the vaquita to low levels by the mid-1970s.
How long has the vaquita been endangered?
Since there are so few Vaquitas there can be problems with inbreeding. The Vaquita was considered endangered since the late 70s, but has been critically endangered since 1997 .
You could be wondering “Why is the vaquita fish endangered?”
3 Ban on Gill-net Fishing in the Sea of Cortez.
The next thing we wondered was are vaquita porpoises on the brink of extinction?
The answer was this little porpoise was only discovered in 1958, yet it’s already on the brink of extinction .
Why is the vaquita population declining?
Vaquita now number as few as ten animals . The vaquita is about 5 feet long and is one of the smallest members of the dolphin, whale, and porpoise family.
The vaquita is the most endangered cetacean in the world . With as few as around 10 left, the species will become extinct without a fully enforced gillnet ban throughout their entire habitat. WWF is urgently working to ensure they can live and thrive in their natural habitat.
Where is the vaquita found?
The Vaquita is only found in the northern area of the Gulf of California , in the Sea of Cortez. This species is generally only found in water which is less than 30 metres deep all the way to the shallows. The Vaquita is the smallest and most endangered cetacean species along with being one of the most endangered species on the planet.
How are vaquitas protected?
Vaquitas are protected under both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act . They have been listed as endangered under the ESA since 1985. This means that vaquitas are in danger of extinction throughout their range. NOAA Fisheries is working to protect this species in many ways with the goal that its population will increase.