Summary
On 7 August 2023 the International Whaling Commission issued the first Extinction Alert in its history, about the vaquita. The alert, led by the IWC Scientific Committee, says the species is not yet beyond saving and calls for 100% of gillnets in vaquita habitat to be replaced right away with alternative gear.
Why it matters
It is the first time the IWC created and used this kind of statement, and it chose the vaquita. The alert gives a short, direct scientific position on what has to happen for the species to survive.
Key findings
- The IWC says there are about 10 surviving vaquitas and that extinction is not yet inevitable.
- The alert gives the population as approximately 570 in 1997 and around 10 in 2018, fairly constant since then.
- It credits the stable number to increased enforcement of gillnet bans and removal of nets, and says this must be 100% effective.
- It names bycatch in gillnets as the cause and replacement of gillnets with safe alternatives as the solution.
- It says the illegal international totoaba trade has complicated efforts to end gillnet fishing.
Caveats
This is a news page summarizing a statement from the Scientific Committee, which is linked from the page. The figures are the Committee's round numbers for 1997 and 2018 and carry no uncertainty range on this page.