The Ministry of Economy will coordinate the work within the framework of the request for consultations by the United States on the implementation of measures for the protection of the vaquita marina.
According to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), illegal totoaba fishing has increased considerably in recent years and is a major threat to the vaquita. As in previous years, the vaquitas have died in the nets placed for the totoaba.
In addition to meat, this endangered fish is prized for its swim bladder, which is exported to China, where it is used as an ingredient in soups and is believed to have medicinal value.
He added that fishermen receive up to 8,500 dollars for each kilogram of totoaba swim bladder, equivalent to half a year of income from legal fishing activities.
In this context, the Ministry of Economy has received a request for consultations from the United States on the implementation of measures for the protection of the vaquita marina under Chapter 24 of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) , which provides for a consultation mechanism on environmental issues between the Parties.
Said mechanism comprises three sequential instances: the first, between the technical officials in charge of monitoring the chapter; the second, through the members of the Environment Committee; and a third, with the participation of the relevant ministers of the Parties.
Beginning in 2011, the acoustic monitoring program revealed an accelerating decline in the vaquita population.
As part of a new program launched in 2015, a new census was conducted to obtain the most accurate abundance estimate: the 2015 abundance was estimated at 59 and the most recent population estimate is 30.