2024 Vaquita Survey to Take Place in May

2024 Vaquita Survey Kicks Off: Mexico and Sea Shepherd Join Forces

April 17, 2024, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO; Yesterday, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Mexican government officials Secretary Albores of SEMARNAT, Commissioner Peña' of CONANP and Captain Miraflores of the Mexican Navy announced that the 2024 Vaquita Survey will begin May 5th and conclude on May 26th. The independent scientific survey will estimate the population of the Vaquita Porpoise in the UNESCO-recognized Vaquita Refuge.

The 2024 Vaquita Survey will examine the endemic species that exists only in a small region of Mexico's Upper Gulf of California. A partnership between Sea Shepherd and the Natural Protected Areas Commission of Mexico (CONANP), the survey will be conducted by more than a dozen highly trained and experienced observers and led by Dr. Barbara Taylor, who has more than 30 years of experience in protecting the Vaquita. The survey will locate and track Vaquitas from two ships with logistical support provided by the Mexican Navy.

"The 2024 survey that we are announcing today will be the most updated scientific analysis of the Vaquita population since last year," said Sea Shepherd CEO Pritam Singh. "The results of this survey will help guide the next steps in our growing collaboration with the Mexican Government to protect the Vaquita."

Since 2015, Sea Shepherd has worked with Mexican authorities to protect the Vaquita by preventing the placement of, and removing, illegal fishing gear inside the Vaquita Refuge. The banned gillnets ensnare the Vaquita, bringing this species to the edge of extinction. The 2024 survey will be incredibly valuable to that partnership, officially called Operation Milagro, in which Sea Shepherd collaborates with the Mexican Government's Intergovernmental Group (GIS).