The World's Smallest Porpoise Trembles on the Edge of Extinction.[With further updates]

In fact the vaquita is the smallest of all cetaceans. It is also the most endangered.

It is only found in the northern part of the Gulf of California where its tiny population continues to be hammered by fishing operations. Despite years of warnings and calling on the Mexican authorities to act, if anything, the situation has become more desperate. A significant part of the problem is an illegal trade in the swim bladders of a large fish found in the same waters and which is itself critically endangered, the tortoaba. These internal organs have high value in Asia where they are used as medicine and this high value is now driving organised crime to drive the fishing activities that are killing the last vaquitas.

Here are two blogs on this critical issue:

• Huffington Post HERE by me - this gives the background and was published a few weeks ago; and

• another on the Southern Fried Science site focused on the issue of illegal trade HERE by Naomi Rose and Andrew Wright.

Uncontrolled international wildlife trade - including in many cases with link to Asian markets - is the key factor in driving many species towards extinction. For more information about this here is  HRH Prince William on the issue in a very popular post on the Huffington Post HERE.

Dr Rose an d one of her favourite armrests (Dr Rose is on the right)

Some news here on the vaquita: New York Times

And here:  'Twelve Tasks to save the Vaquita'