The International Whaling Commission has issued the first "extinction alert" in its 70-year history, warning of the threat posed facing the Vaquita, the world's smallest and most critically endangered marine animal.

According to a recent study, the little porpoise found in Mexico's Gulf of California has only ten individuals left. It has been driven to the brink of extinction due to entanglement in "gillnets," which are now outlawed in the area.

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The IWC's scientific committee expressed in a statement that it was gravely concerned about the vaquita's existence and had issued the alert to emphasize the steps required to conserve it. It stated that the porpoise's extinction was unavoidable unless all gillnets were replaced with alternative fishing gear that protected both the animal and fisherman' livelihoods. “If this doesn’t happen now, it will be too late,” it said.

"We wanted to send the message to a wider audience and for everyone to understand how serious this is," said Dr. Lindsay Porter, vice-chair of the IWC's scientific committee.

Why is the Vaquita targeted? 

The porpoises, which range in size from 1.2 to 1.5 meters, become entangled in gillnets, which are flat fishing nets held vertically in the water. Poachers use these nets to target the Totoaba, a critically endangered fish coveted for its swim bladder in Chinese medicine and sold for huge earnings on the underground market in China and Hong Kong.

The Vaquita population has decreased from 567 to 10 in the last decade as the Totoaba trade has increased.

The Mexican Navy, in partnership with other government agencies in 2022, put concrete blocks in a zero-tolerance zone and strengthened enforcement to discourage unlawful gillnet fishing and conserve the vaquita. There is evidence that illegal fishing has expanded to the zone's perimeter, generating additional issue regions.

The committee, comprised of 200 prominent experts, stated that the effect of the deterrent structures appeared promising but needed to be monitored. The participation of organized crime in the Totoaba industry, as well as issues with policing fishing regulations at sea, made it tough to address, according to the report.

Could there still be hope for the Vaquita population? 

On a brighter note, Porter stated that the species was not yet extinct, stating that at least one baby vaquita had been observed in the previous year, which indicates that the individuals were healthy.

“There is at least one brand new baby vaquita,” said Porter. “They haven’t stopped breeding. If we can take away this one pressure, the population may recover. We can’t stop now.”

Bycatch, or the unintentional capture of non-target animals, is thought to kill 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises per year.

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