A silent war rages, resulting in an extinction alert for the dolphin-like vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise.
prized delicacy in China has created a lucrative black market, leading to rampant illegal fishing controlled by organized crime.
The vaquita is an innocent bystander. Fishermen lay gillnets to catch totoaba fish which unintentionally entangles the vaquita. This is the primary cause of their rapid decline.
– The population was monitored from 2011 to 2018, and the estimated decline was extremely high, with a 48% decline in 2017 and a 47% decline in 2018.
Despite the grim outlook, there’s a sliver of hope. The Sea Shepherd, an environmental organization, continues its efforts to protect the vaquita.
About the Vaquita: The vaquita’s diet primarily consists of fish such as grunts and croakers, and it uses echolocation to hunt its prey. Find more at the end of the article....
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