Your Daily Dish

Feeding Outrageous to you Daily

Hide Advertisement
  • Animals
    • Farm
    • Pets
    • Zoo
    • Wildlife
  • Family
    • Grandparents
    • Kids
    • Parents
  • Health
    • Exercise
    • Food
    • Medical
  • Humor
  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Science & Tech
    • Travel
  • Videos
Site logo
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

World’s Smallest Porpoise on Brink of Extinction

By Jason Owen 2 min read
Advertisement - Continue reading below
Source: IUCN-CSG.org
Source: IUCN-CSG.org

Researchers are warning in a new study that the world’s smallest porpoise is on the brink of extinction and could disappear within five years.

In a report presented to Mexico’s Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, an international group of scientists revealed there are now only an estimated 60 vaquitas remaining in the Gulf of California, the marine mammal’s natural habitat.

Advertisement

The researchers estimate the vaquita population dwindled to as few as 570 in 1997, 250 in 2008, and now just 60; a decline of 92 percent.

The rapid decline in the vaquita population is widely blamed on the marine mammal getting caught in gill nets used by fishermen in the upper Gulf. The vaquitas are generally “bycatch” and end up drowning as the fishermen attempt to catch another endangered species, the totoaba fish, “whose bladders command high prices in China,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Source: IUCN-CSG.org
Source: IUCN-CSG.org

“We are watching this precious native species disappear before our eyes,” said Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, chair of CIRVA and co-chief scientist of the survey. “Our latest survey confirms the catastrophic decline before the emergency gill-net ban. This gill-net ban and strong enforcement must continue if we are to have any hope of saving the vaquita.”

CIRVA is the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita.

Last year, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced a two-year ban on gill-net fishing, the Union-Tribune reported. But conservationists believe enough is not being done and hope a permanent ban goes into place.

Source: IUCN-CSG.org
Source: IUCN-CSG.org

Despite the low numbers, experts believe the vaquita are not a lost cause.

“We would be in much worse shape if they hadn’t taken the emergency ban,” said Barbara Taylor, a conservation biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla and co-chief scientist in the vaquita survey.

Taylor believes with political will, economic resources, and closely monitoring “clandestine totoaba fishing,” the vaquitas numbers can grow again, the Union-Tribune reported.

Vaquitas generally grow to just five feet and can weigh 120 to 140 pounds.

Source: LeisurePro.com
Source: LeisurePro.com
Advertisement - Continue reading below

sdfdsf

‘I Can’t Go Till She Goes:’ Couple Married 63 Years Dies Hours Apart
Lifestyle
Margo Gothelf 2 min read

‘I Can’t Go Till She Goes:’ Couple Married 63 Years Dies Hours Apart

Dad Spearheads Donations of 350,000 Airline Miles to Those Who Can’t Afford Holiday Travel
Trending
Brian Delpozo 2 min read

Dad Spearheads Donations of 350,000 Airline Miles to Those Who Can’t Afford Holiday Travel

Kitten Meeting Newborn Doe Just Made the Internet’s Heart Explode
Trending
Jason Owen 1 min read

Kitten Meeting Newborn Doe Just Made the Internet’s Heart Explode

Man Uses Facebook to Find the Strangers Who Saved His Life With CPR
News
Valerie Cools 3 min read

Man Uses Facebook to Find the Strangers Who Saved His Life With CPR

Boy Uses Allowance Money to Buy Inmates Books
Lifestyle
Lauren Boudreau 2 min read

Boy Uses Allowance Money to Buy Inmates Books

Silverback Gorilla Escapes London Zoo, Almost Joins Harambe in Heaven
Trending
YDD Contributor 2 min read

Silverback Gorilla Escapes London Zoo, Almost Joins Harambe in Heaven

Cop Buys Bike for Girl After Hers Is Stolen
Trending
Lauren Boudreau 2 min read

Cop Buys Bike for Girl After Hers Is Stolen

UPS Drivers Are Sharing Adorable Photos of Dogs They Meet on Their Routes
Animals
Margo Gothelf 2 min read

UPS Drivers Are Sharing Adorable Photos of Dogs They Meet on Their Routes

Obama Optimistic We Can ‘Fix Our Politics’ to Ensure Brighter Future in Final State of the Union
Finance
Jason Owen 6 min read

Obama Optimistic We Can ‘Fix Our Politics’ to Ensure Brighter Future in Final State of the Union

George H.W. Bush’s Letter to Bill Clinton After 1992 Election Is What We All Need Now
Apple
Jason Owen 2 min read

George H.W. Bush’s Letter to Bill Clinton After 1992 Election Is What We All Need Now

How This Man Helped a Pregnant Woman on a Plane Is Amazing
Lifestyle
Lauren Boudreau 1 min read

How This Man Helped a Pregnant Woman on a Plane Is Amazing

Shark Attack Leads to Cancer Discovery, Saves Man’s Life
Science & Tech
Mauricio Castillo 2 min read

Shark Attack Leads to Cancer Discovery, Saves Man’s Life

sidebar

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

sidebar-alt

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • For Advertisers