Sign In
Learn bits
Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

16/04/22 18:54 PM IST

Vaquita porpoise

In News 
  • Vaquita porpoise, found in the Gulf of California in Mexico, is nearing extinction and immediate measures are needed to save the remaining population, said the United States Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

About Vaquita porpoise
  • The vaquita porpoise is the world’s smallest cetacean and the most endangered marine mammal.
  • It has the smallest range of any whale, dolphin or porpoise, and only lives in a small 1,500 square-mile area in Mexico’s upper Gulf of California, near the town of San Felipe. 
  • It has a rounded head and black patches around its mouth and eyes.
  • It only measures up to five feet in size. It has been listed under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List as ‘critically endangered’. 
Population
  • The population of the species declined 98 per cent in two decades.
  • Around 570 animals were recorded in 1999 and this fell to 10 animals in 2019.
Reasons
  • The vaquita population has been declining precipitously for decades due to bycatch in gillnets set to catch shrimp and fish, including totoaba — a large, endangered fish that is threatened by illegal fishing for international markets.
Source- DTE

More Related Current Affairs View All

14 Aug

ABC of Sterilisation

'The Supreme Court has directed Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad authorities to urgently round up and shift stray dogs to shelters, stressing the need to protect children from

Read More

14 Aug

Post and pre-matric scholarships

'The  Union government is considering revising the parental income limit for eligibility in availing post and pre-matric scholarships administered to students from marginalise

Read More

13 Aug

Working of satellite internet

'Satellite internet is revolutionizing how we connect, extending high-speed access to virtually every corner of the globe, regardless of location.' Imagine getting online from t

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps