Vaquita Porpoise on Verge of Extinction: Fewer Than 10 Remain Amid Illegal Gillnet Fishing The vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus), the world's most endangered cetacean, persists with an estimated 7-10 individuals in the northern Gulf of California, Mexico, based on 2025 surveys that confirmed sightings including mothers with calves. Illegal gillnet fishing for totoaba, driven by black market demand for swim bladders in China, remains the primary threat, causing bycatch deaths despite bans, with ghost nets killing indiscriminately across the marine ecosystem. Over 99% of the population has declined since 1998, from 567 in 1997 to 6-19 in 2018, though the decline has slowed post-2018.
Recent 2025 acoustic and visual surveys detected minimal but stable signals outside the Zero Tolerance Area (ZTA), indicating reproduction and sufficient genetic diversity for potential recovery if gillnets are fully eradicated. However, Mexico's February 2026 proposal to shrink protected areas and ease fishing restrictions risks further bycatch, drawing criticism from conservationists who argue vaquitas range beyond current zones. Sea Shepherd reports removing over 1,200 illegal nets since 2015, achieving 95% reduction in fishing inside the ZTA via patrols and drones.
This crisis endangers Gulf of California biodiversity, impacting fisheries, sea lions, sharks, turtles, and local economies reliant on sustainable alternatives amid ongoing totoaba trafficking.
