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More vaquita porpoises survive than expected

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Rojas_Bracho_2022_ESR_More_vaquita_CC.pdf (519.6Kb)
Date
28/07/2022
Author
Rojas-Bracho, Lorenzo
Taylor, Barbara
Booth, Cormac Graham
Thomas, Len
Jaramillo-Legorreta, Armando
Nieto-García, Edwyna
Cárdenas Hinojosa, Gustavo
Barlow, Jay
Mesnick, Sarah L.
Gerrodette, Tom
Olson, Paula
Henry, Annette
Rizo, Henoch
Hidalgo-Pla, Eva
Bonilla-Garzón, Andrea
Keywords
Phocoena sinus
Vaquita
Conservation
Endangered species
Behavioral selection
Monitoring small populations
Expert elicitation
Illegal fishing
Porpoise
GC Oceanography
QH301 Biology
3rd-DAS
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Abstract
In 2018, it was estimated that fewer than 20 of Mexico’s endemic vaquita porpoise Phocoena sinus remained, and the species was declining by 47% yr-1. Entanglement in gillnets is the sole threat to the species, and since the last population size estimate, gillnetting has increased in the small area where most vaquitas remain—a 12 × 24 km area in the Gulf of California near San Felipe, Mexico. We conducted research efforts in 2019 and 2021 in that area to estimate the minimum numbers of adults and calves and look for any signs that vaquitas are unhealthy. Through expert elicitation, we estimated between 7 and 15 unique individuals were seen in 2019 and 5-13 were seen in 2021. Calves were seen in both years, and all vaquitas appeared healthy. Population projections from the last full survey indicated that more vaquitas have survived than expected. We suggest that these surviving adult vaquitas may have learned to avoid entanglement in gillnets. These vaquitas and their calves provide hope that the species can survive. However, given the high levels of illegal gillnetting and the theft of equipment which hindered our monitoring efforts, and with only around 10 individuals remaining, survival can only be assured if vaquita habitat is made gillnet-free.
Citation
Rojas-Bracho , L , Taylor , B , Booth , C G , Thomas , L , Jaramillo-Legorreta , A , Nieto-García , E , Cárdenas Hinojosa , G , Barlow , J , Mesnick , S L , Gerrodette , T , Olson , P , Henry , A , Rizo , H , Hidalgo-Pla , E & Bonilla-Garzón , A 2022 , ' More vaquita porpoises survive than expected ' , Endangered Species Research , vol. 48 , pp. 225-234 . https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01197
Publication
Endangered Species Research
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01197
ISSN
1863-5407
Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © The authors and, outside the USA, The U.S. Government 2022. Open Access under Creative Commons by Attribution Licence. Use, distribution and reproduction are unrestricted. Authors and original publication must be credited.
Description
We thank SMRU Consulting and the University of St. Andrews for supporting C.B. and L.T.’s time, respectively.
Collections
  • University of St Andrews Research
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/25767

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