The secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) sanctioned Mexico on Monday for not doing enough to protect the vaquita, the world’s most endangered marine mammal. The decision means that Mexico will not be able to export CITES-listed plants and wildlife. The decision was taken due to Mexico’s failure to present an adequate plan to combat illegal totoaba fishing, an activity that endangers the vaquita, whose population has been drastically reduced in recent decades.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry denounced that the country had received “inequitable treatment” because it did not take into account the effort that had been made and that had been publicly recognized by CITES. In spite of this, the Mexican government has committed to addressing the observations and has sent a delegation to Geneva to discuss the actions it has taken to protect the vaquita porpoise.
It is estimated that around 3,150 Mexican animals and plants are registered under CITES, and many are exported, such as crocodile leather, mahogany, tarantulas, pet reptiles, cacti, and other plants. According to several environmental organizations, the sanctions announced on Monday amount to “millions of dollars in exports.”
Despite the efforts of environmentalists and authorities in Mexico and the United States, the vaquita population has declined drastically, and it is estimated that there are less than 20 vaquitas left. The vaquita is a collateral victim of totoaba fishing, whose swim bladder is sold for thousands of dollars in China for its alleged medicinal properties. To combat illegal fishing, Mexico has deployed vessels such as the Seahorse in the Gulf of California in the so-called “Operation Miracle,” in which the Mexican Navy participates. Even so, the vaquita’s situation remains critical.