Endangered porpoise worse off than thought

[lock_washer]

Here's another "Cetacean Issue"...that's whales, dolphins, and porpoises

The Gulf of Mexico Porpoise is going the way of the Chinese Baijia - "river dolphin"...Extinct.

Here's a link to the story:

Endangered porpoise worse off than thought : Nature News

If this animal is going to survive...it needs immediate help now. I know the dolphin slaughter in Japan is tragic...but this animal is down to 475 individuals left. They figure about 2 years left, before its gone.

I know that everyone hates aquariums/captivity, but that seems to be the best option to save this cetacean.

Lock Washer

 

[lock_washer]

Correction: Only 150 animals left...they are getting killed at a rate of 40 a year.

 

[lock_washer]

Huh...I guess porpoises aren't worth saving. Funny thing how people got emotional and passionate about the Dolphin killings in Japan, and the Japanese Whaling Fleet leaving to kill Humpback whales. But no one here seems interested in the plight about the Vaquita - the Gulf of Mexico Porpoise.

I guess if an animal is cute and cuddly, or sexy looking on film like: dolphins, killer whales, humpback whales, California Grey Whales, or Blue Whales...they are worth saving and having a photo Ops with a celebrity in a bikini.

But if you the following animals: You are out of luck and will get no press.
Korean Grey Whale - down to a 100 animals left
Vaquita - Gulf of Mexico Porpoise - 150 animals left
Hector's Dolphin in New Zealand - 450 animals left
Alaska Beluga Whales - population dwindling down
Chinese River Dolphin - The Baiji - Now extinct
Asian Finless Porpoise - facing extinction.
Harbor Porpoises - getting disimated by gill nets.
Right Whales - down to 350 animals left.
Beaked Whales/Bottlenose Whales - Must people don't know they exist.
A new species of dolphin discovered: the snubfin dolphin - but no one is interested.

We sure do a good job saving the planet...but only when it serves our interest.

Lock Washer

 

[SeeTheSeas]

Thanks for that link - good article.
The Vaquita (which is actually in the Gulf of California, not Gulf of Mexico - people often interchange these) is indeed worthy of significant conservation efforts. It's a victim of sharing habitat with a terribly tasty (and hence now also endangered) fish, the totoaba. For a little more background, I started a series on my blog about the Vaquita. Part one went up a few months ago, the rest are in progress. I'm working with a few Sea of Cortez cetacean biologists to put together the next installments.
Here's part 1 -
Baja - News and Views: Endangered Sea of Cortez vaquita to receive conservation grant from SeaWorld. So what’s a vaquita?

 

[Coll]

I know that everyone hates aquariums/captivity, but that seems to be the best option to save this cetacean.

Lock Washer

Everyone hates aquariums/captivity?? That's a bit strong. I work with animals in captivity and I understand that some people disagree with this practice but if you look at the facts (the ones that aren't skewed), marine mammals in captivity have it better than most.

 

[amitsi]

...I wonder if the dinosaurs were still around when we were and we ate them to extinction.???

 

[lock_washer]

Everyone hates aquariums/captivity?? That's a bit strong. I work with animals in captivity and I understand that some people disagree with this practice but if you look at the facts (the ones that aren't skewed), marine mammals in captivity have it better than most.

I wish you knew how many times people have jumped on me about aquariums/captivity and all the heat I have taken over it.
I gotten ripped about the whole Keiko/Free Willy fiasco. It was a 20 million dollar waste to free an orca that should have stayed in Oregon, and that wound up eventually dying next to a dock in Norway. All because they wanted the "Hollywood Ending"...what a Public Relations sham on the world.
The incident with Luna:the isolated orca in Canada...all the infighting with Canadian agencies, and the local Indian tribe to reunite it...the animal ended up getting chopped up by a boat prop. They knew that this was going to happen and they sat on their hands.
The orphan baby orca in the Mexico resort dolpinarium. The dolphin handlers at the park wanted it to go to Sea World in San Diego. They knew that Sea World had the expertise and facility to raise an infant orca, but the Mexican Government and local environmentalist put a legal stop to that. The baby orca ended up dying because they didn't have the right formula to feed it.
Of course everyone forgets that it was Sea World that saved J.J. the gray whale and rehabilitated her to the wild.
Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida has save numerous dolphins and released them back to the wild. Two of them couldn't make in the wild, so they have a home there now.
Gulf World in Florida has saved rough tooth dolphins that were sick, and that couldn't make it in the wild...they have a home there now.
Clearwater Aquarium in Florida is rehabbing "Winter"...a dolphin that lost its tail, and now has a prosthetic tail.
Riverhead Foundation in Long Island, New York...they rehabbed two harbor porpoises and released them. They found a home for another offshore dolphin that couldn't make it in the wild.
Mystic Aquarium, in Connecticut has saved common dolphins and sent them to Sea World in San Diego when they couldn't be released into the wild. They tried to save a harbor porpoise in rehab for over a year, but it didn't make it.
I could go on, but the point being...if it wasn't for aquariums/captivity...some of these cetaceans would not have a chance to live.
Getting back to the Vaquita...if people can see that animal on display, and if they can breed it in aquariums/captivity: people will want to see it saved.
Here's' another interesting note:
These two aquariums have harbor porpoises on display:
Denmark Aquarium: Fjord&Bælt ~ en verden under vandet
Otaru (Japan) Aquarium: OTARU AQUARIUM
If those facilities can display harbor porpoises...then why can't we take the Vaquita into captivity to save it. The chinese is doing that to save the finless porpoise.
This organization is doing that: baiji.org foundation - Startpage

Lock Washer

 

[Coll]

Of course everyone forgets that it was Sea World that saved J.J. the gray whale and rehabilitated her to the wild.

That's funny that you mention that, I actually work at the facility who's sea lions were used to film J.J. while it was in captivity! Very cool program. Obviously we share the same opinion on aquariums. I don't care if people don't share my opinion, that's what makes this world so interesting, I just don't like it when people claim "everyone hates aquariums/oceanariums". A little known fact is that the marine mammal protection act makes it illegal for any marine mammal to be captured from the wild to be kept in captivity. There are exceptions to this such as for vital research and some other things but otherwise it is a very strict rule.

 

[DennisS]

The Navy has a dolphin program. They are in captivity but the animals are frequently released into the bay and ocean. If they weren't free to roam they wouldn't be very useful to the Navy. They can leave whenever they want to. The piers surrounding their pens are about a foot above the water, and easy leap for dolphin. They must like the free eats, trainers and healthcare, they come back again and again. Captivity for the animals must not bother them too much.

 

[prthd9]

They must like the free eats, trainers and healthcare, they come back again and again. Captivity for the animals must not bother them too much.

Exactly!!! behavior modification can be used on anyone or any animal, but it doesn't make it right. Its possible to get people to do things they would not do using various forms of reinforcement. I don't really agree with captivity for the most part, but I don't like to see animals go extinct either. Trying to play Noah is not necessarly the correct response though. What is needed in my opinion is tuffer sanctions worldwide. If the damn governments would quit playing all the political bull **** and look out for the greater good this could be done.

Why not instead of fining someone and slapping their wrist for killing an endangered species, we just institute capital punishment. Is that the correct answer? **** I don't know, but obviously marketing campaigns and picketing do not work.

We need another solution is what I am saying!!!!