gillnets

Just ‘Days’ Left to Save 6 to 19 Remaining Vaquitas

Just ‘Days’ Left to Save 6 to 19 Remaining Vaquitas

There are only between six and 19 vaquitas left, a new study has concluded, and, unless swift action is taken, the endangered species could go extinct within a year. The world’s smallest porpoises, found only in Mexico’s Gulf of California, are threatened because they are caught by mistake in illegal gillnets. The study, published in […]

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    Gillnet Fishing Blamed for Killing Up to 100 Baby Hammerhead Sharks in Honolulu

    Gillnet Fishing Blamed for Killing Up to 100 Baby Hammerhead Sharks in Honolulu

    Up to 100 hammerhead shark pups were found dead Tuesday morning near Keehi Lagoon in Honolulu. Experts suggested that gillnet fishing could be the culprit. Authorities at the state’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement have opened an investigation after the baby sharks were discovered by the La Mariana Sailing Club, according to local media. […]

    Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin Gets Protected Under U.S. Endangered Species Act

    Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin Gets Protected Under U.S. Endangered Species Act

    The National Marine Fisheries Service protected rare Taiwanese humpback dolphins on Tuesday, listing the species as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. The decision comes in response to a March 2016 petition from the Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians seeking U.S. protections to help prevent the extinction of a population […]

    Top 10 Ocean News Stories of 2017

    Top 10 Ocean News Stories of 2017

    By Douglas McCauley and Paul DeSalles (The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.) 1. U.S. Drops Out of Paris In our 2015 ocean top 10 list, we celebrated the adoption of the Paris agreement as a monumental achievement for slowing the warming, acidification and deoxygenation of our global oceans. In 2017, […]

    Celebrating the Biggest Conservation Wins of 2017

    Celebrating the Biggest Conservation Wins of 2017

    It’s been a big year for conservation. Together we assured the world that the U.S. is still an ally in the fight against climate change through the We Are Still In movement, a coalition of more than 2,500 American leaders outside of the federal government who are still committed to meeting climate goals. WWF‘s activists […]

    Whales, Sea Turtles Threatened by Trump Administration Proposal

    Whales, Sea Turtles Threatened by Trump Administration Proposal

    The Trump administration proposed a rule Tuesday to federalize regulation of drift gillnets used to catch swordfish on the West Coast. The rule would end California’s right to prevent the deadly entanglements of sea turtles, whales and dolphins in these underwater, mile-long nets. The Obama administration last year proposed a rule that would shut down […]

    First Vaquita Rescued in Bid to Save the Porpoise From Extinction

    First Vaquita Rescued in Bid to Save the Porpoise From Extinction

    A project to save a small, critically endangered porpoise called the vaquita in the Gulf of California succeeded in capturing a 6-month-old calf in mid-October. Veterinarians noticed signs of stress, so they made the decision to release it back into the wild, rather than keep it in a sea pen. The project’s leaders are heartened […]

    Trader Joe’s Stops Buying Mexican Shrimp After Pressure to Protect Vaquita

    Trader Joe’s Stops Buying Mexican Shrimp After Pressure to Protect Vaquita

    Conservation organizations announced Wednesday that Trader Joe’s has declared it will stop buying shrimp from Mexico. The popular grocery store chain’s decision follows pressure from organizations behind the Boycott Mexican Shrimp campaign, launched earlier this year to save the vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise, from decades of decline due to entanglement in shrimp fishing gear. […]