Navigation Links
Small, smaller, smallest -- The plight of the vaquita

pecies, the Mexican Government has finally taken specific actions to try to prevent its extinction. On 29 December 2005 the Ministry of Environment declared a Vaquita Refuge that contains within its borders approximately 80% of all verified vaquita sighting positions. In the same decree, the State Governments of Sonora and Baja California were offered $(US)1 million to compensate affected fishermen. Another big step will be to convince the relevant State Governments of the Upper Gulf to support actions proposed by an international vaquita recovery team. These Governments have argued that no action should be taken until a second survey for a new abundance estimate shows definitively that the population is declining.

But the question of how often new estimates or indices must be obtained to monitor trends is a tricky one. Ship surveys are expensive and they cannot be expected to detect population declines or increases on an acceptable timescale for such a critically endangered species. According to one analysis, a single survey in 2006 or 2007 would have a probability of only 11% of detecting a 3%/year decline and a 16% probability of detecting a 10%/year decline. Achieving an acceptable probability (e.g. 95%) of detecting a 3% decline would require annual surveys over a period of 39 years at a cost of approximately $29 million. Moreover, by that time (c. 45 years from now) only some 180 or so vaquitas would be left. Clearly, it is wiser to invest available funds in conservation actions, particularly in ones that offer viable socioeconomic alternatives to fishermen.

Mexico has a very good record in helping endangered marine mammals to recover. There are no better examples anywhere in the world than eastern Pacific gray whales and northern elephant seals, both of which came back from low numbers and now represent true conservation success stories. Similar efforts are needed urgently for the vaquita, a small animal living in a small area with a small
'"/>

Source:Blackwell Publishing Ltd.


Page: 1 2 3 4

Related biology news :

1. New study of the worlds smallest elephant
2. Worlds smallest cancer detection device

Post Your Comments:
(Date:11/30/2009)...ontinue to rise scientists are presented with the ...pond and adapt. In a paper published in Insect Co...Trelles and Dr Miguel Rodriguez assess this challe...ximately 0.6˚C has already affected the Earth...ists and evolutionary biologists is to predict how...
(Date:11/30/2009)...blished in the December 2009 print issue of The F...of control over their fertility that women have ha...found how and where androgenic hormones work in th...le fertility. This opens a promising avenue for th... also offers hope to those who cannot have childre...
(Date:11/26/2009)...ive antlers, red deer have been caught in the hunt...are much more than decorative. They are lethal wea... Currey, from The University of York, UK, has been...r over half a century and has become fascinated by...g-standing collaboration with Tomas Landete-Castil...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):How can scientists measure evolutionary responses to climate change? 2Tough yet stiff deer antler is materials scientist's dream 2Boston Scientifics Urology Gynecology Products Featured in Studies at Global Congress 6109 1Boston Scientifics Urology Gynecology Products Featured in Studies at Global Congress 6109 2Boston Scientifics Urology Gynecology Products Featured in Studies at Global Congress 6109 3Boston Scientifics Urology Gynecology Products Featured in Studies at Global Congress 6109 4Boston Scientifics Urology Gynecology Products Featured in Studies at Global Congress 6109 5Forecast Looks Good for India Pharma Shows 6107 1Forecast Looks Good for India Pharma Shows 6107 2Forecast Looks Good for India Pharma Shows 6107 3American Oriental Bioengineering to Report Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results on November 16 2009 6105 1
...ON, WI, JUNE 16, 2008 -- Crop yield is highly depe...f soil water that can be taken up by plant roots. ...f plant-available water in soil using traditional ...ially at the scale of an entire field. However, a ...would be instrumental in yield potential assessmen...
...ecision to vote is partly genetic, according to a ...nce Review. The research, by James H. Fowler and ...nia, San Diego and Laura A. Baker, of the Universi...at genes influence participation in elections and ...full study at: http://www.apsanet.org/imgtest/APS...
...cology of penguins makes these iconic swimming and...lly susceptible to environmental changes. Pronounc... fishing, mining, and oil and gas development at l...s, according to P. Dee Boersma, of the University ...issue of BioScience, Boersma provides a first-pe...
Other Biology News:Where is your soil water? Crop yield has the answer 2Political participation is partially rooted in genetic inheritance 2Political participation is partially rooted in genetic inheritance 3
(Date:11/30/2009)... , SHANGHAI, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-As...armaceutical, biotechnology, and medical-device re...erations in China and the United States,announced...ogy Fast 50 China,2009 list for the fifth consecut...ng companies in China,s technology, media, and tel...
(Date:11/28/2009)... The Vanuatu National Adviso... Second National Communication (SNC) Project in co...es and CLIMsystems Ltd. of New Zealand have genera...results that will form the background for the coun...amework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). ,...
(Date:11/26/2009)..., WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new generation of ultr...s using tiny structures called semiconducting nano...by researchers at IBM, Purdue University and the U...searchers have learned how to create nanowires wit...efined at the atomic level, which is a critical re...
(Date:11/25/2009)... , ,, BOCA RATON, Fla...09 has been a painful year. Not so for BodyLogicMD...k of expert physicians specializing exclusively in... grown the number of physicians in its network ... - and is in progress to add more physician-owned ...
Breaking Biology Technology:WuXi PharmaTech Named in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China 2009 List for the Fifth Consecutive Year 2Preliminary Climate and Sea Level Changes for Vanuatu Through the Application of SimCLIM 2Preliminary Climate and Sea Level Changes for Vanuatu Through the Application of SimCLIM 3Preliminary Climate and Sea Level Changes for Vanuatu Through the Application of SimCLIM 4Nanowires key to future transistors, electronics 2Nanowires key to future transistors, electronics 3Nation's Largest Network of Doctors Specializing in Bioidentical Hormones Grows at an Exponential Rate 2Nation's Largest Network of Doctors Specializing in Bioidentical Hormones Grows at an Exponential Rate 3Nation's Largest Network of Doctors Specializing in Bioidentical Hormones Grows at an Exponential Rate 4
...rmacy staff with the ability to manag...VIEW, Calif. and CHAMBERSBURG, Pa., Oct. 11, Omnic...system solutions to acute healthcare facilities, a...ealth, today announced that Chambersburg,Hospital ... minutes after,the successful installation of the ...
...al T-Cell Lymphoma Summary: Genmab Announced Toda...Study to Treat Refractory CTCL and has Received an... of Nodal T-Cell Lymphoma, COPENHAGEN, Denmark, O...t has amended the design of the ongoing pivotal,st...ory cutaneous T-cell,lymphoma (CTCL) patients. The...
...ct manufacturing,organization specializing in the ... single-use bioprocessing components, announced to...ences, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson,and Comp... storage for,Master and Working Cell Banks and per...e Master Cell Bank and antibody manufacturing will...
Other Biology Technology:Chambersburg Hospital Streamlines Pharmacy Process and Increases Patient Safety With Omnicell WorkflowRx 5.0 2Chambersburg Hospital Streamlines Pharmacy Process and Increases Patient Safety With Omnicell WorkflowRx 5.0 3Genmab Amends HuMax-CD4 Pivotal Study in CTCL 2Genmab Amends HuMax-CD4 Pivotal Study in CTCL 3PacificGMP Announces Agreement with BD Biosciences for Cell Banking and cGMP Antibody Manufacturing 2
Goat Anti-Zebrafish Ephrin-B2 Polyclonal Antibody, Biotin Conjugated from R&D Systems
PhotoMan Direct Copy Hood and UV Shield set, 10 x 12 cm from Hoefer, Inc.
Donor Goat Serum from Lifeblood Medical, Inc.
GeneRacer Kit with SuperScript II RT and Zero Blunt TOPO PCR Cloning kit for Sequencing from Invitrogen
Biology Products: