Summary
CIRVA held two virtual meetings, on 27 February and 10 March 2026, to give scientific advice on Mexico's proposed changes to the 2020 fisheries agreement for the Upper Gulf of California. The committee supports parts of the proposal but has serious reservations, mainly that shallow northwestern parts of the proposed Gillnet Prohibition Area, where vaquitas were detected in 2025, would not get concrete blocks with hooks.
Why it matters
CIRVA is the scientific advisory body on vaquita recovery, and this report records its position on a rewrite of the rules that govern fishing in the species' range. It also summarizes enforcement conditions in early 2026.
Key findings
- The government's proposal has five area designations, including the Zero Tolerance Area, a Special Use Area (the former Extended Area) and a Gillnet Prohibition Area (the former Vaquita Refuge).
- 193 concrete blocks were first installed in the Zero Tolerance Area and 216 more were deployed in 2024 in the Special Use Area; CIRVA calls blocks the only measure shown to protect vaquitas.
- In January 2026 Sea Shepherd radar counted up to 80 pangas a day (16 January) possibly net fishing in parts of the Vaquita Refuge.
- About 850 GPS units were installed on legal pangas in San Felipe and part of the Golfo de Santa Clara fleet as of 28 October 2025.
- CIRVA recommends daytime clam diving be legal in the Zero Tolerance Area, seafood from vessels that fished the prohibition area with gillnets be confiscated, and an annual re-evaluation.
Caveats
The report covers a government proposal that was still being finalized, and it states the government acknowledged the 2020 agreement has been impossible to enforce in current conditions. The radar counts cover only about an 8 nautical mile range, so they show possible net fishing in part of the refuge and are not a total.