Fewer than 10 exist
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
But we could save the last 7 vaquitas on the planet.
A,
The tiny vaquita porpoise is the most threatened sea mammal in the world. Fewer than 10 are left – pushed to the edge of extinction by illegal fishing nets that ensnare and drown them within minutes.
But there's a flicker of hope.
Scientists have discovered astounding genetic health among the last surviving vaquitas – meaning these beautiful creatures could fully bounce back if dangerous fishing practices end now. And we can help make that happen!
San Felipe in Mexico is the centre of the local fishing industry. And three amazing groups there are working flat out to equip locals with sustainable fishing gear that’s completely safe for vaquitas.
Already fishers are switching over, but with so few vaquitas left we need to act quickly. They urgently need money to buy safe fishing gear, train people on how to use it and get it onto fishing boats as fast as possible.
Can you chip in to protect... the last 7 vaquitas -- and marine environments everywhere?
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Vaquita numbers have plunged 99% in a decade as the use of “gillnets” has rocketed to meet the growing global demand for fish. These vertical walls of netting trap all sea life that comes their way. Air-breathing vaquitas don’t stand a chance.
It’s annihilation, but we can’t give up on them yet.
On-the-ground groups like Pesca ABC, Whale Museum and MAREM – a network of 80 heroic women in the fishing community – are still fighting. A, with your help, they can go further, faster, incentivising fishers to switch to safer nets, and giving vaquitas the space they need to recover.
10 years ago, hundreds of vaquitas played together in this tiny patch of the Gulf of California. Now they could disappear forever. But if we all chip in, we can give them a chance to thrive once more – and fight for better marine protections globally.
Can you rush a donation to help protect the 7 vaquitas left?
If you’ve saved your payment information with SumOfUs, your donation will go through immediately.
Donate $88 nowDonate another amount
Thanks for all that you do,
Olivia and the SumOfUs team
More information:
Vaquita porpoise could survive … but only if illegal fishing stops immediately. The Guardian. 5 May 2022.
Vaquitas could breed their way back from the brink of extinction. 5 May 2022.
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