Vaquita porpoise facing extinction after £3m rescue plan abandoned
by Robin McKie Observer science editor from Environment | The Guardian on (#39MWJ)
Only hope for world's most endangered marine mammal now rests with bid to stop illegal fishing
A last-ditch attempt to save the world's most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita, by taking them into human care has been abandoned. The chances that this rare species of porpoise will become extinct are now extremely high, researchers have warned.
They had hoped to catch a few of the planet's last 30 vaquitas - which are only found in one small area of the Gulf of California - and protect them in a sanctuary where they could breed safely. But last month, the $4m (3m) rescue plan by an international team of more than 60 scientists and divers ran into trouble after only a few days, when the first vaquita they caught had to be released when it began to display dangerous signs of stress.
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