MONTRAL A key U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement body RecommendedMexico’s failure to adhere to its fishing and wildlife trading laws is the subject of a formal investigation. This is causing the near extinction of the vaquita porcoise. Illegal fishing nets that were used to catch shrimp and totoaba (an imperiled fish prized in China because of its swim bladder) entangle and kill the vaquita. There are likely to be ten or fewer vaquita left.
The Secretariat of Environmental Cooperation, an environmental dispute organization established under the USMCA responds to a 2021 petition from conservationists. The Secretariat identified several key open questions that need to be investigated for the first time. These included questions about the environment. [Mexicos]Respect of applicable laws and orders, and effectiveness of the actions taken.
This decision shines a spotlight on Mexicos persistent refusal to ban illegal fishing in the vaquitas waterways, stated Sarah Uhlemann (international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity). Mexico must admit its enforcement failures and follow through on its promises of saving these porpoises. These beautiful animals will disappear forever if Mexico doesn’t take strong action.
Scientists believe that vaquitas are capable of surviving if the Mexican government stops illegal gillnet fisherman fishing in the vaquitas habitat. However, the Mexican government has repeatedly failed its laws to enforce them. In November 2021, 117 vessels were spotted in one day. Illegal fishingThe zero tolerance area is a critical area for the vaquita. All fishing and unauthorized vessel transit are prohibited within this area.
Recent observations have shown that hundreds of illegal boats were found in the same area from early December to late March 2022. There were even more illegal boats spotted on eight days.
Today’s announcement should signal to Mexico’s government that its 25-year-old broken promises to save the vaquita are over, said DJ Schubert, a wildlife biologist at the Animal Welfare Institute. A factual and objective analysis of Mexico’s actions will reveal that successive administrations failed the vaquita because of incompetence and budget cuts, corruption, and lack of political will.
In March, the United States and other nations proposed severe sanctions against the Mexican government for violating international trade in endangered species of fauna and floral by failing to stop the trafficking of parts of totoaba. International trade in totoaba is prohibited by CITES, and vaquita are caught in illegal totoaba nets that are designed to capture the fish for export to China.
The Mexican government replied to CITES parties by saying that there were no fishing violations except in exceptional cases and that recent months had seen an increase in fishing violations.[d]Despite documented violations, there have been no further reports of fishing vessels operating in the zone of zero tolerance.
This investigation is critical because the members of CITES Standing Committee failed implement precautionary policies to protect the critically endangered vaquita. Clare Perry of the Environmental Investigation Agency, Oceans & Climate Campaign lead, said that the urgency of this investigation is greater.
Today’s decision gives the commissions governing board, made up of high-ranking environmental authorities from Canada, Mexico, USA, and the United States 60 days to decide if the review should be continued. If it does, the secretariat of the commissions will create a complete factual record about Mexico’s enforcement of its fishing laws as well as trade in totoaba.
