MEXICO CITY (AP). The U.S. Trade Representatives Office filed Thursday’s first environmental complaint against Mexico for failing to protect the critically endangered vaquita Marina, the world’s smallest porpoise.
According to the office, it requested environment consultations with Mexico. This is the first case it has filed under U.S.-Mexico Canada free trade pact. Consultations are the first stage in the dispute resolution process under this trade agreement, which entered effect in 2020. If the dispute is not resolved, it could lead eventually to trade sanctions.
Mexico’s government has abandoned all attempts to enforce a fishing ban in an area where vaquitas may still be found. Vaquitas are drowned by nets that were illegally set for another fish, the Totoaba.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai stated USTR is committed towards protecting the environment, and is asking for this consultation to ensure Mexico fulfills its USMCA environment obligations.” She added that we look forward to working closely with Mexico on these issues.
Sarah Uhlemann (international program director, Center for Biological Diversity) said that this is a significant move that could save the little porpoises.
Uhlemann released a statement saying that illegal fishing is outlawed in Mexican waters and that the vaquitas are paying the highest price.” We are glad that the U.S. government is taking Mexico into account for violating its environmental obligations, and threatening the existence of the vaquitas.
It was Mexico’s second stinging rebuke in a matter of days. Mexico has been doing a poor job of controlling the environmental practices of its fishing vessels.
Monday’s ban on entry to U.S. ports by Mexican fishing boats from the Gulf of Mexico was imposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This is in response to the illegal poaching of red snapper by Mexican boats for years.
Marcelo Ebrard Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary stated that incidents of fishing by Mexican boats within U.S. waters were errors and that it can sometimes be difficult to find the boundary line between the two countries’ territorial waters.
Critics say it is more likely that Mexican boats are heading where the fish are and not making the same navigational errors over and over again. Many repeat offenders have been apprehended by the U.S. Coast Guard, with some Mexican fishermen being captured in U.S. waters more than 20 times since 2014.
Mexico’s worst nightmare is now evident with the dire situation of the vaquita marina, of which only 10 may survive in the Gulf of California.
Mexican authorities permitted Sea Shepherd, an environmental group, to return to the Gulf (also known as the Sea of Cortez) to aid in conservation efforts. However they no longer allow the group to remove illegal nets.
This was the latest example of how the Mexican government seemed to give more weight sovereignty and fishing concerns to species protection.
Mexico has relied for years on Sea Shepherd boats to remove illegal nets that trap and drown vaquitas. However, they have done little to combat poachers attacking environmentalists ships. Over the past six years, the group has removed approximately 1,000 long, heavy nets.
The environmentalists were forced out of the Gulf in January 2021 following a New Years Eve attack by fishermen who rammed a Sea Shepherd vessel with a boat. One of those fishermen later died from injuries sustained in the attack.
Since then, Mexicos navy has largely been responsible for locating and removing nets. However, this has not prevented fishermen from setting up nets to catch the totoaba fish, which is a delicate Chinese fish that sells for thousands per pound (kilogram).
President Andrs Manuel Lopez Obrador has voiced his disapproval of foreign interference and expressed his desire to balance fishermen’s and endangered species’ interests.
Lpez Obrador stated in June that we don’t need foreigners telling our country what to do or imposing sanctions on our fishermen. He stated that we can reach an arrangement that seeks to balance fishing and productive activities while also taking care of the species.
This attitude was evident in the government’s July decision to end fishing restrictions in the area that holds the last vaquitas.
The new measure replaces the fishing-free zone in the upper Gulf that is zero tolerance and provides a sliding scale of penalties for more than 60 fishing boats that are seen in the area on multiple occasions.