The United States extended the fishing embargo against Mexico for inefficient actions to save the vaquita

[Inkriql]

The US government announced that it will expand the fishing embargo against Mexico because effective strategies have not been implemented to curb the deaths of marine vaquitas perpetrated by illegal networks.

Through a statement, the National Fisheries Service (NMFS) increased shrimp, sardine, chano, sierra, herring, mackerel, anchovies and curvina to the ban that has been applied to Mexican territory since 2018.

Now the fish caught in the northern area of the Gulf of California cannot be purchased from Mexico. The restriction was imposed almost two years ago by the International Court of Commerce of the United States, but only contemplated shrimp, curvina, sierra and chano.

According to Excelsior, the decision was made based on the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which empowers the US government to prohibit the purchase of fishery products from countries that are not able to demonstrate that their regulations avoid bycatch.

The Center for Biological Diversity was the one who promoted the embargo against Mexico, the director of the institution, Sarah Uhlemann, said:

The environmental organization Sea Shepherd denounced on February 9 a shooting attack against his ship in the protection area of the vaquita marina, in the Upper Gulf of California, northwestern Mexico, with no damage or injuries.

The shots came from boats (pangas) of fishermen who sailed around the Sea Shepherd ship, which is dedicated in this area to remove illegal fishing nets that threaten the vaquita.

In a statement, the organization said the attack occurred on Saturday morning in a protection sector of the marine vaquita called ‘critical zone’, which is a priority for the conservation program of this marine mammal.

"The incident lasted several minutes and several shots were heard," two of which fell into the water near the ship, which was not hit, the organization said when confirming they have recorded evidence of the attack by the ship's cameras. Sea Shepherd captain Jacqueline Le Duc said:

    This shows how aggressive poachers are. Proof that they are armed and that any boat that crosses must take it seriously, because we have no idea what they are capable of

The captain of the environmental ship said that due to the proximity of the threat several measures against piracy were activated, such as the use of water cannons to prevent a potential boarding.

On the boat there were personnel from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), the Federal Police and the Mexican Navy, the organization confirmed.

He denounced that this is not the first time that poachers resort to violence in the area, remembering that in January 2019 the ships Sea Shepherd and Farley Mowat were attacked by about 50 people with stones and Molotov bombs.

The marine vaquita protection area in the Upper Gulf of California is a federal protected area and recognized by Unesco as a place of prohibition for fishing with fishing nets that threaten the mammal.

Profepa issued a statement on Sunday in which it “strongly” condemned the events and said it will collaborate 'in the investigations that are released to clarify and punish those responsible.'