Mexico proposes weakening protection for world’s most endangered marine mammal as only 10 vaquita porpoises remain

Mexican government officials are considering a controversial proposal to scale back critical fishing regulations that protect the last 10 vaquita porpoises on Earth. The world’s smallest porpoise species, found only in Mexico’s northern Gulf of California, faces potential extinction if the proposed changes move forward.

The vaquita, measuring just five feet long and weighing 120 pounds, is easily recognizable by distinctive dark circles around its eyes. This tiny marine mammal has experienced a catastrophic population decline from nearly 600 individuals in 1997 to just 10 today. The proposed regulatory changes would shrink protected ocean areas and allow increased vessel traffic in the species’ only remaining habitat—the waters between Baja California and mainland Mexico.

The proposal, developed by Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and other agencies, aims to address concerns from local fishing communities while citing scientific research as justification. However, conservation groups strongly oppose the plan, warning it could deliver the final blow to an already critically endangered species.

“With such a small population of 10 individuals, any effort to reduce the measures that are in place at the moment would be a real threat to the future of this species,” warns Sarah Doleman, senior ocean campaigner for the Environmental Investigation Agency. The vaquita’s decline has been primarily driven by fishing activities, particularly gillnets that accidentally trap and kill the porpoises. Conservation experts argue that now is the time to strengthen, not weaken, protection measures for this irreplaceable species.