WHALEY BAD
Sex drug mafia hunting for ‘cocaine of the sea’ is wiping out world’s most endangered whale
ILLEGAL fishing for the 'cocaine of the sea' totoaba fish could be about to result in the extinction of the world's smallest whale.
The vaquita porpoise is just one of the many species falling victim to the destructive poaching methods of Mexican drug cartels and Chinese traffickers as they join forces to poach the rare totoaba fish for its swim bladder.
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The documentary Sea of Shadows premiered in London this week and revealed the latest shocking statistics about the plight of the vaquita whale.
The species has been dropping dramatically in numbers over the past decade and now less than 15 remain.
Vaquitas could disappear forever within the next 12 months due to countless miles of illegal underwater gill nets in the Sea of Cortez that poachers use to ensnare totoabas.
The totoaba fish is considered to be the 'cocaine of the sea' because it has a swim bladder that's worth more per ounce than gold.
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The swim bladders have a hefty price tag because of Chinese medicinal beliefs which state it has miraculous healing powers.
Some people consider the totoaba swim bladder to be a 'sex drug' because it is said to help aid fertility.
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Other claims about its medicinal benefits include that it can treat circulatory issues, arthritis and skin conditions.
It is also considered to be a delicacy in China and is eaten in soup.
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There are fishing restrictions that have been put in place in the Sea of Cortez to try and safe the marine life there from destructive poaching methods.
However, these are going ignored despite being enforced by the Mexican navy.
The Sea of Shadows documentary claims that some officials in the Mexican navy are being paid off by mafia to turn a blind eye to the totoaba poaching and trading with the Chinese.
It also shows how a team of experts try and fail to save a vaquita by placing it in a sea pen during a mission.
Efforts from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society prove to be a bit more successful though as they use drones to spot illegal fisherman and work to remove the lethal underwater gill nets.
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The most recent observations of vaquitas in the Sea of Cortez only accounted for six of the small whales.
Director Richard Ladkani told an audience at the Sea of Shadows London premiere: "We need people to wake up and to do what they can.
"New policies are being put in action right now and new laws are being put in place.
"Follow and support it, show people that you care.
"We have a petition on Change.org if you just search vaquita."
He added: "Everyone of you can make a difference for the planet.
"This is a symbolic story for the vaquita but it's just a symbol. This is happening right now to out planet."
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When asked whether the Mexican navy were doing enough to help the conservation efforts and take down the mafia in the Sea of Cortez, Ladkani revealed how he confronted a vice admiral about the situation off camera.
He said: "I took down the camera and he said these people know where we live.
"These people know the names of my daughter, my wife, they know everything about us.
"If we seriously hurt them, if we seriously take them down, they will come after us and they will kill us.
"Not only me but they will kill my daughter and my wife and that is the reason why we're not going against them."
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The Sea of Shadows documentary has just been released in UK cinemas.
Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the executive producers.
Vaquita facts
Here's what you need to know about the endangered species...
- The vaquita is a species of porpoise — a group of whales closely related to dolphins
- All whales, dolphins and porpoises are known as cetaceans — and the vaquita is the smallest of the lot
- They usually grow to a length of around one and a half metres
- The vaquita lives only in the northernmost waters of the Sea of Cortez in northwestern Mexico
- It wasn't scientifically recorded as a species until the 1950s and its first descriptions were based on three skulls found on the coast
- The vaquita is extremely shy and elusive — so the first photograph of a living one was not captured until the 80s
- Vaquita use echolocation, like dolphins, to navigate through the environment
- Scientists estimate population data by using special tech to pick up on these echolocation sounds
- Three large-scale visual surveys have been conducted to help assess the vaquita population
- In 1997, an estimated 567 vaquitas remained
- By 2008, this number dropped to 245
remained - By 2015, the population was estimated at less than 60
- In 2016, the population this plummeted by 50% to only 30 animals
- The most recent visual observation work only recorded 6 vaquita sightings
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