At a Glance
- Scientists say the population of the world's smallest porpoise could be as few as six.
- Since 2011, 98.6 percent of the vaquita population has been lost, primarily to illegal gillnet fishing.
- The researchers say the porpoises could become extinct within a year.
Fewer than 20 vaquita porpoises remain and scientists warn that the critically endangered animal could become extinct within a year unless illegal gillnet fishing is stopped, according to new research.
Using acoustic detectors every summer from 2011 to 2018, scientists monitored the vaquitas and found that the number of vaquitas declined 48 percent in 2017 and 47 percent in 2018, according to the study published Wednesday in the Royal Society Open Science.
Since the monitoring began in 2011, 98.6 percent of the vaquita population was lost. In 2016, it was estimated that 30 vaquitas were still swimming in the Sea of Cortez but more than a third have since disappeared.
"We estimate fewer than 19 vaquitas remained as of summer 2018. From March 2016 to March 2019, 10 dead vaquitas killed in gillnets were found," the authors wrote, noting that the population could actually be as few as six.
The authors said the vaquitas are difficult to monitor visually but are easier to monitor acoustically because of the continuous clicking sounds the porpoises make to communicate.
(MORE: 'Aquatic Cocaine' Is Pushing Them to Extinction)
Vaquitas are the world's smallest porpoise and live in the northern Gulf of California off the coast of Mexico. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation, their numbers are steadily declining from years of being caught in illegal fishing gillnets.
Researchers warn that immediate action is needed to stop gillnet fishing, which was permanently banned by the Mexican government in 2017 after years of pressure to save the vaquitas, if there is any hope of saving the animals.
"The ongoing presence of illegal gillnets despite the emergency ban continues to drive the vaquita towards extinction. Immediate management action is required if the species is to be saved," Len Thomas, director of the university’s Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM), said in a press release.
