Global Leaders Urged to Sanction Mexico to Protect the Last 10 Vaquita Porpoises

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-global-leaders-urged-to-sanction-mexico-to-save-the-last-10-remaining-critically-endangered-vaquita-porpoises-from-extinction/

Conservation groups urged the United States & other International leaders to sanction Mexico in an attempt to force them to act on protecting the last 10 critically endangered Vaquita porpoises. Despite years of broken promises, the Mexican Government has failed to protect Vaquitas from extinction, continuing to use illegal gillnets that tangle, trap, and drown the Vaquitas. Their years of inaction and broken promises have put the Vaquita Porpoise at extinction's door.

In the letters, authorities are being asked to suspend the trade of hundreds of species of Mexican wildlife including reptiles, sea cucumbers, and certain shark species worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It is also being requested that the United States continue its ban on Mexican seafood, particularly the lucrative trawl-caught shrimp, caught in the Vaquita's territory. Lastly, that the Vaquita's habitat remain as "in danger" and that the Mexican Government submits a detailed management plan to address the Vaquita's potential extinction. 

Image taken from World Animal News

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Isn't it sad that this is what protecting a species going extinct comes down to? Isn't it sad that we must sue, sanction, and ban imports before action is even considered? Vaquita's are literally at death's door, with only 10 individuals recorded remaining in their habitat. Why is the Mexican government hesitating to protect them? Profits, it's as simple as that. Overfishing contributes to monetary gain and unfortunately, it seems the survival of the Vaquita is second to the money gained from utilizing disastrous gillnets. As the story mentioned, the Mexican government has been aware of the perils the Vaquita faced for many years and have done virtually nothing to prevent inevitable extinction.

Our lackluster global approach to conservation is the exact reason hundreds of thousands of species are facing the possibility of extinction. We are destroying every single habitat on this planet, including the oceans where we are decimating underwater species and coral reefs at a rapid pace. Those of us who continue to draw attention to these matters and fight for conservation are simply outnumbered by a planet of people who care so much more about money than the survival of a species. It's an uphill battle to say the least, one that would require global cooperation in acting to protect the many species' on our planet that are headed towards extinction. Without global cooperation, we will undoubtedly continue to see extinctions happening rapidly.

The Vaquita's survival is in the hands of Mexican authorities. We can only hope these sanctions force the government to take real action before the last remaining Vaquita porpoises find themselves tangled up in gillnets and drowned to extinction.

HAPPY VEG