Barbara Taylor in CIRVA conference.
The 2015 International Whaling Commission Conference https://iwc.int/sc66a is underway. During this conference I briefly attended an exclusive meeting by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA). In 1996, CIRVA was established by the Mexican Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries. CIRVA’s primary goal is to develop a recovery plan based on the best scientific evidence. It was essential that I attend this meeting to capture this “think tank” in action that is the core team in vaquita conservation. Details of the meeting are strictly confidential and will not be known until the report is released.
In addition to witnessing these CIRVA deliberations, I conducted interviews with Andrew Read and Barbara Taylor to hear first hand how serious these issues are that face vaquita survival. Andrew Read is the Stephen Toth Professor of Marine Biology at the Duke University Marine Laboratory as well as a member of the Cetacean Specialist Group of the IUCN and the Scientific Committee of the IWC, and CIRVA. Barbara Taylor is the Leader of the Marine Mammal Genetics Group for Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA. She is also actively involved in the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group and chair of the Marine Mammal Society’s Conservation Committee. Both of them could not stress enough that action needs to be taken now and Mexico needs to uphold their promise to enforce the 2 year gillnet ban. Although the temporary gillnet ban is not a permanent solution, this will relieve some of he pressure off of the vaquita, but only if strict enforcement is implemented.
CIRVA member, Barbara Taylor meeting Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto during gillnet ban announcement.
Gillnet flag marker with Navy ship in background.