Captivity: Last hope for saving the vaquita?

With less than 60 of
the animals left, the
Mexican government
wants to save the
endemic vaquita
porpoise through
captive breeding.


But
not a single vaquita
has ever been caught
alive, and
conservationists fear
the worst.
Once upon a time, the
world's smallest porpoise,
the so-called "panda of the
sea," swam wide and free in
the Gulf of California. This
could be the start of a tragic
tale on illegal fishing,
animal trade and extinction
- if no action is taken.
Despite the Mexican
government's efforts to stop
decline of the critically
endangered vaquita, the
situation has become dire:
The population has dropped
from 200 in 2012 to fewer
than 100 in 2014 - and some
60 in late 2015, according to
the International Committee
for the Recovery of the
Vaquita (CIRVA).
Captivity is to be the last
resort to keep vaquitas
alive. The Mexican
government and CIRVA
announced plans to try and
capture the remaining shy
cetaceans, with hopes for a
captive breeding program.
But here's the rub: Not a
single vaquita has ever
been caught alive. And
though the "captivity
question" - that is, whether
captivity is an adequate
conservation method - has
been long raised, consensus
among conservationists has
yet to be reached.

Failed protection

efforts

Despite governmental

efforts to reduce the use of

illegal nets and capture

ghost nets left drifting in

the sea, the vaquita's

population has dropped

precipitously. Of the

approximately 60 members,

less than 10 are thought to

be breeding females.

Bycatch is the vaquita's

number-one enemy. The

world's most rare marine

mammal continues to get

entangled in gillnets used in

illegal fishing , aimed at

capturing the also endemic

totoaba fish - its precious

swim bladder is worth tens

of thousands of dollars on

the Chinese black market.

In the time period from

October 10 and December 7

last year, conservation

groups including WWF and

the Sea Shepherd

Conservation Society,

together with the Mexican

navy, removed more than

100 nets in the upper Gulf

of California .

The Mexican government

has additionally provided

three drones for the

conservation campaign - to

no avail.

Bycatch: serial killer for marine

life

A matter of life or

death

The last measure proposed

by the government is to

capture the few vaquitas

remaining and facilitate

their reproduction in

captivity. With this,

scientists face a challenging

task - as this would be the

first time ever a vaquita

would be caught alive.

CIRVA co-chairman Lorenzo

Rojas-Bracho is aware of

the risk captivity poses for

vaquitas - but he believes

there are no other options

left.

"Capturing them is a very

difficult decision. It implies

risks, but it won't be

rushed," Rojas-Bracho told

wire service AFP. "In any

sign of stress, we will set

them free."

But some conservationists

are against the program.

Stephan Lutter, policy

advisor for marine

protected areas and

cetaceans with WWF

Germany, believes captivity

represents too high a risk

for a species with so few

individuals left, and animals

should rather be recovered

in their natural ecosystem.

In spite of few cases where

porpoises were occasionally

able to produce offspring,

captivity has been proven

insufficient, Lutter told DW.

"The definition of successful

breeding is that they also

reproduce in the

subsequent generation -

which has never happened,"

he added

Challenge accepted

As the debate rages,

researchers are preparing

their action plan. Keeping

vaquitas healthy and far

from gillnets is the main

priority.

With that aim, the

international committee is

establishing a group of

experts in acoustic

monitoring, porpoise

capture, veterinary

medicine and other special

expertise to carry out the

effort.

"It would involve locating

them, capturing them, and

putting them in some kind

of protective zone," Rojas-

Bracho told the media.

Beyond the vaquita's

security, experts worry as

well about how removing

the species from the wild

will impact its swimming

companion, the totoaba.

Removing the delicate

vaquita from the equation

could result in easing

fishing regulations.

Lutter is confident that

totoabas, also critically

endangered, will remain

stable since there is already

a strong program in place to

protect the species.

Totoaba swim bladders are

falsely believed to have

medicinal properties

However, he does fear

monetary struggles for

covering the expenses of

both controlling illegal

fishing, and breeding

vaquitas in captivity.

"It's already been very

costly to remove gillnets

and provide fishermen with

alternatives for safe fishing

gear," he said.

Vaquita only in

fairytales?

Conservationists are

warning that the vaquita

could disappear by 2022 if

further measures are not

taken - or if ongoing

measures continue failing.

Lutter maintains that there

is hope - as long as vaquita

are not put into captivity.

"In the light of the huge

efforts the government and

groups such as WWF are

making, there is some hope

for recovery of the small

population," he said.

"It is still possible to build

up the population again

even from a very small

number," he continued.

Lutter cited the case of

Maui dolphins in New

Zealand, which numbered

as few as 40 individuals

some years ago. Through

strong measures against

harmful practices, they

have been able to recover

up to around 100.