From the American Cetacean Society Conference on Nov. 13, 2010, Seaside, California

1. Dirección General de Investigación de Ordenamiento Ecológico y Conservación de los Ecosistemas
20 de marzo de 2008
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ACS FOR THE INVITATION
Cheryl M. McCormick
END OF THE LINE: THE RECOVERY AND
CONSERVATION OF THE VAQUITA
Lorenzo Rojas Bracho
Armando Jaramillo Legorreta
Coordinación de Investigación y Conservación de
Mamíferos Marinos
END OF THE LINE: THE RECOVERY AND
CONSERVATION OF THE VAQUITA
Lorenzo Rojas Bracho
Armando Jaramillo Legorreta
Coordinación de Investigación y Conservación de
Mamíferos Marinos
13/ November/2010

2. - A brief history of vaquita research and
conservation
- Through the eyes of vaquita recovery team
(CIRVA) because we reviewed what is known of
this species
-As any story has …
We will
concetrate on
the Heroes

3. BACKGROUND
- The International Committee for the Recovery of
Vaquita (CIRVA) is an ad-hoc group created in
1997.
- Constituted by experts from Canada, Europe, US
and Mexico
The mandate of this group to create a Recovery
Plan for this species

4.  be based on the best available scientific
information (Heroes)
and
 contemplate and consider the socio-
economic impacts of any required
regulations on the resource users in the
affected areas

5.  Andy Read
 Armando Jaramillo
 Årne Bjørge
 Barb Taylor
 Bob Brownell
 Hector Pérez-Cortés
 Jay Barlow
 José Campoy
 Juan Pablo Gallo
 Jorge Urbán
 Lourdes Flores
 Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho
 Miguel Angel Cisneros
 Oliver Ryder
 Oscar Pedrín
 Randy Reeves
 Ray Hilborn
 Richard Cudney
 Steve Buckland
 Tim Gerrodette
 Tim Ragen
 Tony Martin

6. Species Description, Life History and Diet
Distribution
Abundance
Risk Factors

7. KEN NORRIS

8. It was a spring day in 1950. I had one more dune
to check, one just north of Punta San Felipe. As I
walked the dune margin I saw a whitened skull
partly protruding from the sand, buried just
above the reach of the usual high tide. I
couldn’t identify it, except to say that it was
obviously a very small porpoise or dolphin. I
picked it up, shook the sand out of the brain case,
and carried it back to the truck.
Unpublished Manuscript, Ken Norris
Courtesy Bob Brownell

9. Greg Silber
Field Notes of Ken Norris
April 28, 1955
San Felipe, Baja California del
Norte, Mexico
On our way back we spotted
porpoises, which I think are an
undescribed species….
They were very small,
probably under 5 ft. I suspect
they are the harbor porpoise,
Phocoena, but of an unknown
species. They could be heard
to exhale and inhale as they
swam along.
Ken getting food
Courtesy Bernd Wursig

10. The species was formally described as
Phocoena sinus by Ken Norris and
William McFarland in 1958
Imagine describing a new mammal, one
unknown to science. For the first time in the
history of the earth this animal had been
discovered by man! If you described and
named your find, you and the animal became
linked forever. “My dolphin” you thought, full of
proprietary feelings for this critter swimming
out there in the ocean, who hadn’t the slightest
idea about you.
Unpublished Manuscript, Ken Norris

11. AFTER IT WAS DESCRIBED IN 58’
THERE WAS STILL A MISTERY:
HOW DOES VAQUITA REALLY
LOOK LIKE?

12. 1983!

13. …TO REALLY KNOW HOW
IT LOOKED LIKE

14. Bob Brownell, Lloyd T.
Findley , Omar Vidal
Brownell, R. L., Jr., L. T. Findley, O. Vidal, A. Robles and S. Manzanilla. N. 1987. External morphology and
pigmentation of the vaquita, Phocoena sinus (Cetacea: Mammalia). Marine Mammal Science 3:22-30
Brownell, R.L., Jr. 1983. Phocoena sinus. Mammalian Species (198):1-3.

15. Brownell et al. (1987):Brownell et al. (1987):
-- the vaquita's flippers are
proportionately larger;
and the dorsal fin is taller
and more falcate than in
other porpoises
-- pigmentation pattern is
dark gray cape, pale gray
lateral field, and white
ventral field.

16. -- The most
conspicuous
features of the
pigmentation are
the relatively
large black eye
and lip patches

17. First life history and
population information

18. ANDY READ
ALETA HOHN
(Hohn, A.A., A.J. Read, S. Fernandez, O. Vidal and L.T. Findley. 1996. Life history of the vaquita,
Phocoena sinus (Phocoenidae, Cetacea). Journal of Zoology, London 239:235-251)

19. • One of the smallest cetaceans
• Mature vaquitas are about 1.5 m long
and weigh about 50 kg
• Females are slightly larger than males

20. Breeding is seasonal, with
most calves produced in
March and April; few females
appear to breed each year
Nothing is known of their
mating system, although the
large size of testes suggests
sperm competition among
males
CICMM
Omar Vidal

21. Silber, G.K. and K.S. Norris. 1991. Geographic and seasonal distribution of the vaquita, Phocoena sinus.
Anales del Instituto de Biología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Serie Zoológica 62(2):
263-268.
Silber, G.K. 1990. Occurrence and distribution of the vaquita Phocoena sinus in the Northern Gulf of
California. Fishery Bulletin 88:339-346
Gerrodette, T. et al.1995 Distribution of the vaquita, Phocoena sinus, based on sightings from systematic
surveys. 273-281 In: Bjørge, A. and G.P. Donovan (eds) Biology of the Phocoenids. Reports of the
International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 16). Cambridge, U.K.
Greg Silber
Tim Gerrodette

22.  All surveys up to now indicate that the center ofAll surveys up to now indicate that the center of
vaquita abundance is in the Upper Gulf,vaquita abundance is in the Upper Gulf,
particularly in the western perimeterparticularly in the western perimeter
 Related to depth (< 50 m; Silber et al., 1994)
 Bottom sediment type (silt and clay; Gallo y
Torre, 1998)

23. Rojas-Bracho et al. (2006)
The modern range
of the vaquita is
limited to an area
of approximately
4,000 km2
The species is not
known from any
other area of the
world’s oceans

24.  Brownell (1986): ‘the evidence as it currently
stands supports the historical and current
geographical range of this species being
restricted to the upper part of the Gulf of
California’
 Vaquita is the marine mammal species with the
most restricted distribution

25. Difficult to surveys
- The animal’s small size, with a
triangular dorsal fin up to about
15 cm high;
-spend most of their time under
water, visible only for about 3
seconds at a time
-surfacing intervals average
between a minute and a minute
and a half
-they rarely splash or jump;
-group size averages only two
individuals
-generally avoid boats and
ships.

26. ONE OF THE FIRST VAQUITA
EXPEDITIONS
Photographs courtesy Bernd Wursig

27. Randy Wells

28. Barlow, J., T. Gerrodette and G. Silber. 1997. First estimates of
vaquita abundance. Marine Mammal Science 13:44-58
Jay Barlow

29.  224 individuals (CV
= 0.39, 95% CI = 106-
470)

30.  Abundance is likely in the hundreds and
probably the low hundreds (Barlow et al.
1997).
 Obtain as soon as possible a more accurate
and precise estimate of abundance based on
line transect
 A two-ship design was preferred to cover
deep and shallow waters (<20m).

31. Armando Jaramillo-Legorreta
Jaramillo Legorreta, A.M., Rojas Bracho, L. and Gerrodette, T. 1999. A new
abundance estimate for vaquitas: first step for recovery. Mar.Mamm.Sci.
15(4)957-973

32. 567
vaquitas
95% C.I.
177 - 1073
Joint US-Mexico 1997 based on line transect
using 3 ships;
3,364 Km covered

33. - Rojas Bracho L, BL Taylor. 1999. Risk factors affecting the vaquita (Phocoena sinus).
Marine Mammal Science 15 (4): 974 – 989.
-Taylor, B. and L. Rojas Bracho. 1999. Examining the risk of inbreeding depression in a
naturally rare cetacean, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Mar.Mamm.Sci. 15(4).
Barb Taylor

34. For conservation action to be succesful:For conservation action to be succesful:
-- necessary to identify risk factors andnecessary to identify risk factors and
classify them according to theirclassify them according to their
importanceimportance

35. HABITAT ALTERATION (Brownell, 1982)
- POLLUTION
- DECREASE OF THE RIO COLORADO FLOW
(diversion agriculture and urban use)
BYCATCH
INBREEDING DEPRESSION (harmful effects of
inbreeding: reduction in the population growth rate
expression deleterious alleles)

36.  Pollutants (no threat…cleanest
blubber)
 Calambokidis, J., Findley, L.T., Brownell, R.L. Jr. and Barlow, J.
1993. Chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations in the Gulf of
California harbour porpoise (Phocoena sinus). Abstracts, Tenth
Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.
November, Galveston, Texas, USA. p.13.
Vaquita were most commonly seen dead in fishing nets.Vaquita were most commonly seen dead in fishing nets.
Given their natural rarity we asked:Given their natural rarity we asked:
What are the most important threats?What are the most important threats?
Victor Camacho
John Calambokidis

37. “Reduction of nutrients previously injected by the
River has impoverished the Upper Gulf and its
productivity”
However…
CIRVA, reviewed info on: Nutrients,
Phytoplankton, Zooplankton

38. Alvarez-Borrego (2003): Nutrient concentrations,
phytoplankton and zooplankton abundances are
high in the estuary and the adjacent Upper Gulf
of California. These support a rich marine
ecosystem with abundant and diverse fauna,
including birds and marine mammals.
Alvarez-Borrego, S. 2003. Physical and Biological Linkages between the Upper and Lower Colorado Delta. En: D.
Rapport, W. Lasley, D. Rolston, N. Nielsen, C. Qualsety A. Damania (eds.). Managing for Healthy Ecosystems. Capítulo
108, pp.1081-1083. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Fl.

39. Stomachs full, none selective predator (21 species)
advantage over specialist species
Prey window ~ to those reported for Burmeister and
harbor porpoises
- Pérez Cortés Moreno, H. 1996. Contribución al conocimiento de la biología de la
vaquita, Phocoena sinus. Tesis de Mastría. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología.
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. México, D.F. 68 pp
- Findley,L.T., Nava J.M., and Torre, J. 1995. Food habits of Phocoena sinus (Cetacea:
Phocoenidae). Abstracts Eleventh Biennal Conference on the Biology of Marine
Mammals, 14-18 December, Orlando, Florida, EUA
Héctor Pérez Cortés
Lloyd Findley

40. None of the
specimens showed
signs of emaciation
Mothers and calves
sightings often

42. Norris y Prescott (1961) y Brownell (1982) first
indications of incidental mortality in totaba and
other gillnets (shark and rays) and shrimp
trwalers
In seventies Mitchell (1975) Report of the IWC
meeting on smaller cetaceans:
 vaquita’s distribution in gillnets fishing zones
represents potential management problems

43. Vidal (1995) documented incidental mortality of
128 vaquitas (1985-92) in entangling nets mesh
size 8.5 cm to 30.5 cm
Boyer y Silber (1990) y Vidal (1995)
guessestimated mortality in 32 and 35
vaquita/yr respectively

45. D’Agrosa, C., Lennert, C.E. and Vidal, O. 2000. Vaquita by-catch in Mexico’s Artisanal
Gillnets Fisheries: Driving a small population to Extinction. Conserv.Biol. 15(4): 1110-1119
Caterina D’Agrosa

46. Fishing effort: number of
fishing trips (Gen. Lin.
Models)
Vaquitas bycaught in gillnets
mesh size 7 cm - 15 cm
39 vaquitas/yr (95% CI: 14, 93)
for El Golfo de Santa Clara

47.  Very low levels of pollutants (DDT totalVery low levels of pollutants (DDT total
and PCB 9.1 ppm and 0.02 ppm) noand PCB 9.1 ppm and 0.02 ppm) no
threat …cleanest blubberthreat …cleanest blubber
 Inbreeding depression (no threat (yet)…Inbreeding depression (no threat (yet)…
many calves, naturally rare)many calves, naturally rare)
 High nutrient concentrations andHigh nutrient concentrations and
productivity rates in the Upper Gulf +productivity rates in the Upper Gulf +
diet information, health anddiet information, health and
reproductive status indicate that flowreproductive status indicate that flow
reduction of the CR not a current riskreduction of the CR not a current risk
for vaquitafor vaquita
 Bycatch in gillnets are the highest riskBycatch in gillnets are the highest risk
for vaquita survivalfor vaquita survival
CIRVA CONCLUDEDCIRVA CONCLUDED

49. • Acoustic deterrents (Pingers)
• Seasonal area closures
• “No Take” Marine Protected Area
Mitigation Measures Evaluated

51.  To provide reasonable
assurance of vaquita
survival would require a
complete ban on all
gillnets
 No restriction would be
needed for hook-and-line
fisheries because there is
no known vaquita
mortality

52.  At least 40% of the recorded sightings have
been south of the Biosphere Reserve
 The Committee concluded that the Reserve
boundaries should be redrawn to enclose
the entire “core area”

53. current Reserve
current line
proposed boundary

54. Gillnets and trawlers banned
VAQUITA REFUGE(2005)
Total Surface 1 263.77 km2

56. 1. Vaquita by-catch be reduced to zero as soon
as possible
√ 2. The southern boundary of the Biosphere
Reserve be expanded to include all
known habitat of the vaquita
3. Gillnets and trawlers be banned in the
enlarged Biosphere Reserve in the
following sequence:

57.  √ (a) Eliminate large-mesh gillnets (6 inch
stretch mesh or greater)
 √(b) Cap the numbers of pangas at present
levels
 √ (c) Restrict fishing activities to residents
of San Felipe, El Golfo de Santa Clara and
Puerto Peñasco

58.  Eliminate medium-mesh gillnets (i.e. all
those except chinchorro de linea)

59. Stage Three
(to be completed by January 1, 2002)
• √ Eliminate all gillnets and trawlers
•Trawlers reduced from >250 to 100
•This year first time no trwaling within BR
(Campoy pers.comm)

60. √ - Effective enforcement of fishing regulations
begin immediately:
√ - Acoustic surveys be started immediately to:
 monitor abundance.
 Determine seasonal movements

61. Tierra
Trawlers
Pangas
DSJ
Límite Refugio Vaquita

62. - Vaquita emitS high frequency,
narrow band; clicks: fundamental
frequencias centered between 128
and 139 KHz, 11-28 KHz wide;
(Silber, 1991).
- Other species use broader band or
lower frequencies
40 60 80 100 120 140 160
KHz
common dolphin
bottlenose dolphin
harbour porpoise
vaquita
ACÚSTICA PASIVA : DETECTOR MARSOPAS
D i r e c c i ó n d e la c o r r i e n t e
H i d r ó f o n o
5 m
a p r o x .
B o y a
C T D
7 5 m a p r o x i m a d a m e n t e
2 m
a p r o x .
B o y a B o y a

63. Passive Acoustics to study habitat use of vaquita
• During 10 yrs we
used an acoustic
detector on board a
small boat in fixed
stations all around the
potential distribution
area of vaquita
• The locations of
certain vaquita
acoustic detections
are between Consag
Rocks and San Felipe
Bay, in a restricted
north – south range.
current direction
transducer
element
}5m
approx.
white buoy white buoy red buoy
Jaramillo-Legorreta, Rojas-Bracho and Urban (2005)

64. -The acoustic detection rate decreased ~60%The acoustic detection rate decreased ~60%
(1996-2007; Jaramillo-Legorreta, 2008)(1996-2007; Jaramillo-Legorreta, 2008)
-Historic graph triggered current conservation
actions
zero vaquitas detected

65. √ - Research be started immediately to develop
alternate gear types and techniques to replace
gillnets
√ - Development of a program to promote
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT and
widespread EDUCATION and public
awareness of the importance of the Biosphere
Reserve and the vaquita and the relevance of its
protection as a Mexican and world heritage.
Development of PUBLIC SUPPORT is critical
to the success of this conservation program.
List of Recommendations

66. √ - Consideration be given to compensate
fishermen for lost income resulting from the
gillnet ban and develop socioeconomic
alternatives
List of Recommendations

67. √ - The international community and non-
governmental organizations be invited to join
the Government of Mexico and provide
technical and financial assistance to
implement the conservation measures
described in this Recovery Plan and to support
the continued conservation activities of the
Biosphere Reserve.
List of Recommendations

70. Bernardo Villa-Ramírez
One of Mexico’s foremost mammalogists described the
species as ‘seriously endangered’ and ‘on the border of
extinction’.
Villa-R., B. (1976) Report on the status of Phocoena sinus, Norris and McFarland 1958, in the Gulf of California. Anales del
Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Serie Zoología, 47, 203-208.
Villa-R., B. (1993) Recovery plan for the vaquita, Phocoena sinus. Contract report to Marine Mammal Commission, Washington,
DC. National Technical Information Service Report PB93-169415. 36 pp.

71.  1978 Villa-Ramírez
includes vaquita in
his list of
endangered and
rare wildlife species
of Mexico
 First Recovery plan
for the vaquita,
Phocoena sinus

72.  Failed:
 lack of transparency in their works
 to analyse risk factors affecting vaquita
 Management hindered by lack of agreement
over which risk factors were most significant.
 National Progress Report (Mexico to IWC)
(Fleischer, 1996, 263)
 Environmental change from reduced freshwater
flow of the Colorado River was cited as a ‘major
cause’ of the declines.

73.  The IWC was critical of the assertions (IWC,
1996, 173)
 Explicitly rejected the report’s reasoning
concerning causation,
 noted that no evidence had been presented to
support the environmental hypothesis and that ….
 ‘the current incidental mortality is the cause for
concern’
 1993 Totoaba gill nets banned (mesh size 12
inches and greater)
 1993 Decree creating Biosphere Reserve of the
Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River
Delta is published.

74. President of
Mexico, F.
Calderón and
Minister of
Environment and
Nat. Resources
SEMARNAT J.R.
Elvira-Quezada
Luís Fueyo
National
Comm. of
Natural
Protected
Areas
(CONANP)
José Campoy
Director
Biosphere
Reserve
Upper Gulf of
CA and Delta
Colorado
River,
(CONANP)
Oscar
Ramírez
Director
Protected Sp
Program
(CONANP)

75. PROGRAMA DE
ACCIÓN DE
ESPECIES
PRIORITARIAS
PACE-VAQUITA:
PRIMERAS ACCIONES
REALES DE
CONSERVACIÓN
PACE VAQUITA
IMPLEMENT CIRVA’S RECOMMENDATIONS

76. ACTIONS
Eliminate gillnets
•Buy-out/rent-out
Enforcement
•Transparency and social control
Alternative fishing gear
•New fisheries
• Aquaculture
Socioeconomic alternatives
•New buisness alternatives
•Asistence in process
•Education and culture
• Monitoring the population

77.  The number of registered pangas engaged in
gillnet fisheries was estimated to be 1000 in
2007
 Currently 242 have been permanently removed
through the PACE program
 In addition, 190 pangas have replaced their
gillnets by other fishing gear
 Remaining: 650-750
 It is foreseen to eliminate all gillnets before
2012 (replacing the remaining for alternative
gear

78.  Gerrodette, T., B.L. Taylor, R. Swift, S. Rankin, A.M. Jaramillo-
Legorreta, L. Rojas-Bracho.
(in press). A combined visual and
acoustic estimate of 2008 abundance,and change in abundance
since 1997, for the vaquita, Phocoena sinus
 Gerrodette, T. and L. Rojas-Bracho (in press). Estimating the
success of protected areas for the vaquita, Phocoena sinus. Marine
Mammal Science.
 T. A. Jefferson, P.A. Olson, T.R. Kieckhefer, and L. Rojas-Bracho.
2009/2010. Photo-Identification of the Vaquita (Phocoena Sinus):
The World’s Most Endangered Cetacean. Lat. Am. J. Aquat.
Mamm. 7(1-2): 53-56
 Acoustic monitoring of vaquita

79. NOAA R/V David Starr JordanNOAA R/V David Starr Jordan
Boyas yBoyas y técnicas visualestécnicas visuales
Vaquita ExpressVaquita Express
Towed acoustic arrayTowed acoustic array
Aguas someraAguas somera
Koipai
Detecciones acústicas estáticas
Boyas autónomas
EXPEDICIÓN VAQUITA 08
DESIGN AUTONOMOUS MONITORIGN SCHEME
& ABUNDANCE
Funded by
US Marine Mammal
Commission

80. 115°W 114.5°W 114°W
N
N
N
30.5°N
31°N
31.5°N
Twice as much trackline in
good conditions as in 1997
115°W 114.5°W 114°W
115°W 114.5°W 114°W
30.5°N
31°N
31.5°N
30.5°N
31°N
31.5°N
10 km
San
Felipe
El Golfo de
Santa Clara
1993
1997
2008
Area of sightings
on David Starr Jordan
Distribution in “deep” water about
the same as 1997
245 VAQUITAS (CV=73%, 95%CI
68-884).
The 2008 estimate was 57% lower
than the 1997 estimate
An average rate of decline of
7.6%/year

81.  Gerrodette, T. and L. Rojas-Bracho (in press).
Estimating the success of protected areas for
the vaquita, Phocoena sinus. Marine Mammal
Science.

82. 115°W 114.5°W 114°W 113.5°W
115°W 114.5°W 114°W 113.5°W
30.5°N
31°N
31.5°N
30.5°N
31°N
31.5°N
10 km
San
Felipe
El Golfo de
Santa Clara
Puerto
PeñascoColorado
River
Option 1 (Vaquita Refuge Area)
Option 2 boundary
Option 3 boundary
Biosphere Reserve nuclear boundary
Biosphere Reserve buffer boundary
120°W 110°W 100°W
20°N
30°N
40°N
U S A
Mexico
1
2
3

83. 02004006008001000
1993 - 2008
POPULATIONSIZE
1993 1998 2003 2008
t
t
t
a
a
a
a
a
a
a a
A
2008 - 2018
POPULATIONSIZE
2008 2013 2018
0100200300
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
B
0.51.01.52.00.51.01.52.0
OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3
existing
Refuge
Area
no
bycatch
RPACE
population
increase
population
decrease→←

84.  Autonomous acoustic monitoring of
vaquita

85. NOAA R/V David Starr JordanNOAA R/V David Starr Jordan
Boyas yBoyas y técnicas visualestécnicas visuales
Vaquita ExpressVaquita Express
Towed acoustic arrayTowed acoustic array
Aguas someraAguas somera
Koipai
Detecciones acústicas estáticas
Boyas autónomas
MONITORING SCHEME

86. • Dr. Jonathan Gordon
– St. Andrews University, UK
– Rainbow click (towed array)
• Dr. Jay Barlow
– NOAA Fisheries, USA
– Simulated porpoise clicks
• Dr. Tom Akamatsu
– Institute of Fisheries, Japan
– A-tags
• Dr. Armando Jaramillo
– Instituto Nacional de Ecologia, Mexico
– Especialista en acústica de vaquita
• Dr. Nick Tregenza
– Chelonia, UK
– C-POD and T-POD

87. SAMPLING DESIGN PROPOSED
Sampling network Moorings to refuge marker buoys
Hiding moorings inside the refuge

88. WORK IN PROGRESS
• Mooring systems design
and test
• Deploying and recovery
trials
• Sonar reflectors design
• C-POD pilot test in
refuge marker buoys

89.  T. A. Jefferson, P.A. Olson, T.R. Kieckhefer, and L. Rojas-
Bracho. 2009/2010. Photo-Identification of the Vaquita
(Phocoena Sinus): The World’s Most Endangered Cetacean. Lat.
Am. J. Aquat. Mamm. 7(1-2): 53-56

91.  RANDY REEVES  TIM RAGEN

92.  INSTITUTO
NACIONAL DE
ECOLOGÍA
 SEMARNAT
 WWF-MEX
 NOAA/NMFS
 IFAW
 MARINE MAMMAL
COMMISSION

93. 1er Lugar Categoría de spot de TV. Festival Multimedia, 2do Festival
Internacional de Cine (International Film Festival of Baja California)
ERNESTO BOLADO
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

94. MUCHAS GRACIAS POR SU ATENCIÓN
TED CRANFORD