FIRST EVER EXTINCTION ALERT FOR SMALLEST MARINE MAMMAL ANNOUNCED BY IWC

Many people may not be familiar with the vaquita, the harbour porpoise, the smallest marine mammal found only in the small northern corner of the Gulf of California. But this little cousin of whales and dolphins demonstrates the serious dangers facing many modern species. The species has declined from about 570 individuals in 1997 to about 10 today and was the subject of the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) first-ever extinction warning. As with many endangered species,  the root of the problem lies in human activity. The warning was issued by  IWC on August 7, 2023. A statement accompanying the alert said, "Despite nearly 30 years of repeated alerts, the Vaquita is at serious risk due to gillnet entanglement."

The primary purpose of the alert is to inform and motivate action. dr IWC's Lindsey Porter explains: "With the missing person alert, we wanted to get the message across to a wider audience so that everyone understands the seriousness of the situation." Although attempts have been made to help these creatures in the past, methods such as relocating the population have failed in more sheltered waters.

There is some hope, however. The rest of the tiny porpoises, which are around 4 to 5 feet long, appear healthy and happy. Their population, while dangerously small, has remained relatively stable as of 2019. There is even a young cub here at the moment. "There's at least one new Vaquita baby," Porter said. “They haven't stopped breeding. If we can remove that pressure, the population can recover. We can't stop now. Meanwhile, the Mexican government is cracking down on the use of gillnets, a harmful fishing practice that kills many whales, dolphins and porpoises.