Leonardo Dicaprio - Are Thanks Deserved As Vaquita Porpoises Near Extinction?

     Vaquitas, the world's smallest porpoise and smallest cetacean, are now believed to be less than 30 in number. In 2013, this highly endangered species was considered by one major wildlife organization to be one of their top conservation success stories for the year. Gillnets, a type of fishing gear that has been one source of vaquita mortality, were to be phased out in favor of more vaquita friendly fishing gear.

      Saving the vaquitas required far more than the introduction of vaquita friendly fishing gear. In 2013, the vaquitas were already critically endangered and on the road to extinction, but at that point in time, there was a better chance of saving this species from extinction than there is today. 

      The threats to the vaquitas far exceeded the insufficient and questionable efforts to save them. The vaquita story is one of failure, not conservation success. (No organization will acknowledge failure. Only success and happy stories are believed to bring in donations.) 

      A news report stated that the actor, Leonardo Dicaprio, on his twitter account, hailed as "great news" a recent announcement that a temporary ban on gillnets has been made permanent, and thanked the president of Mexico and a wildlife organization. 

      Thanks are not due. We should never be where we are now. It is disgraceful that the vaquita population has been allowed to dwindle to 30 or less. This tiny population is spread out over a large area where they are still highly vulnerable to a variety of threats. They are also no longer genetically diverse. It may be impossible now to prevent extinction. This does not mean we should not try. We should. But we should also learn from our mistakes so that this does not keep repeating itself.

      What is due once and for all, and will not happen, is the long overdue examination of animal welfare and wildlife organizations as to what it is that they actually do, and if their claims and advertisements match reality. 

      The vaquita may be the second cetacean species to recently become extinct. Two cetacean species in a short period of time, all because of mankind.

      There is another cetacean species, the irrawaddy dolphin, that also nears extinction, although the situation for the irrawaddy dolphin is not yet as dire as that of the vaquita. Unfortunately, irrawaddy dolphins are receiving the same kind of "help" as that which was given vaquitas.