Conservation groups are sounding alarms after Mexico announced plans to slash protection zones for the critically endangered vaquita marina by 86%, opening thousands of square kilometers of the Gulf of California to the same gillnets that have driven the world’s smallest porpoise to the brink of extinction.
The Mexican government’s decision would eliminate most of a 2020 regulatory agreement that prohibited gillnet fishing across 11,594 square kilometers (4,477 square miles) of the Upper Gulf of California. Under the proposed changes, only 1,562 square kilometers would remain off-limits to the deadly nets, creating a fishing zone roughly 6.6 times the size of Mexico City.
“If we compare the map presented by Mexican authorities with the 2020 Regulatory Agreement, around 86% of the area where gillnet use is currently prohibited is being cut,” said Alejandro Olivera, Mexico representative for the Center for Biological Diversity. “In practice, this means reopening thousands of square kilometers to the fishing gear, pushing the vaquita marina toward extinction.”
The vaquita exists nowhere else on Earth. The small porpoise, distinguished by dark rings around its eyes and lips, inhabits only the northern Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora. Latest population estimates place their numbers at just seven to 10 individuals, down from 567 in 1997.
The species faces extinction not from direct hunting, but as accidental victims of illegal fishing for another endangered species: the totoaba. This large fish’s swim bladder, called a buche in Spanish, commands extraordinary prices on Chinese black markets, where it can fetch $20,000 to $80,000 per kilogram for use in traditional medicine and as a status symbol among wealthy buyers.
Criminal networks have transformed totoaba trafficking into what investigators call an organized environmental crime. Earth League International has identified 17 major trafficking networks and more than 160 suspected perpetrators, many of them Chinese traders based in Mexican cities like Ensenada and Tijuana who work with local cartels for protection and logistics.
“This represents Mexico’s surrender to the cartels and illegal fishermen who for decades have illegally caught and trafficked totoaba and other species, practically causing the vaquita marina’s disappearance,” said DJ Schubert, senior wildlife biologist at the Animal Welfare Institute.
Both the vaquita and totoaba drown when trapped in gillnets, unable to surface for air. The nets remain the primary threat despite decades of warnings from scientists and multiple international sanctions against Mexico for failing to enforce fishing bans.
The reduction would also shrink the historic Vaquita Marina Refuge Area by nearly 85%, freeing 278 square kilometers in the southwest portion of the polygon where nets have been illegal.
“Reducing protection polygons is a risk the vaquita marina cannot afford, given that the latest population estimate shows only seven to 10 individuals remain,” Olivera said.
Conservation organizations point out that vaquitas don’t recognize boundary lines on maps. Multiple sightings have been recorded outside established protection zones, including in areas that would become open to gillnet fishing under the new proposal.
The Mexican government has struggled for years to enforce existing regulations. Just 16 convictions for totoaba trafficking were recorded between 2016 and 2022, despite seizures of 26,000 to 30,000 swim bladders during the same period. In 2023, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species sanctioned Mexico for inadequate protection efforts.
Recent monitoring offers a glimmer of hope. A 2025 survey confirmed sightings of seven to 10 vaquitas, including newborn calves, suggesting the population has stabilized after years of steep decline. Scientists emphasize the remaining animals appear healthy and continue to reproduce.
But conservationists warn that shrinking protection zones could reverse this fragile stability. They’re urging Mexico to reconsider what they call a “potentially disastrous” proposal that would leave the vaquita practically defenseless.
The fight to save the vaquita extends beyond Mexico. The United States serves as both a transit point and destination for totoaba products, while China drives demand despite a 2020 ban on wild animal trade. Environmental groups say only coordinated enforcement across all three nations can dismantle the trafficking networks keeping gillnets in vaquita waters.
For the vaquita, time has nearly run out. What happens next in Mexico’s northern gulf may determine whether this unique species survives or becomes another cautionary tale of extinction driven by organized crime and enforcement failures.
Key Facts About the Vaquita Crisis
- Population: 7-10 individuals remain as of 2025, down from 567 in 1997
- Habitat: Found only in northern Gulf of California, smallest range of any cetacean
- Main threat: Gillnets used for illegal totoaba fishing
- Totoaba value: Swim bladders sell for $20,000-$80,000 per kilogram in China
- Protection reduction: From 11,594 sq km to 1,562 sq km (86% decrease)
- Criminal networks: At least 17 major trafficking organizations identified
- Enforcement record: Only 16 convictions from 2016-2022 despite thousands of seizures