Vaquita Porpoise: A victim of “Cocaine of the Sea”

• 19 Jul 2021

• Recently, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), the world’s smallest and most endangered whale was in news due to the policy change of Mexico – it has given up on maintaining fishing-free zone to protect vaquita porpoise.
• It is also known as "the panda of the sea" for the distinctive black circles around its eyes.
• This species is found only in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) region.
• Conservation status of the species is ‘Critically Endangered’ with their numbers fewer than 15. It is the most critically endangered sea mammal on the planet.
• Due to China’s demand for the swim bladders, also known as ‘maws,’ from a giant Mexican fish called totoaba, fisherman use large gillnets to illegally fish for totoabas and vaquitas have become the victim of its by-catch.
• The totoaba fish’s swim bladders are called the “cocaine of the sea” for the money they fetch on the Chinese black market.
• Inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2005, the property of the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2019 in light of the critical situation of the vaquita.