In March, the Mexican government conducted an operation to remove illegal gillnets used for catching totoaba, an endangered fish. These nets also endanger the critically threatened vaquita porpoise. Authorities, including the Mexican Navy and environmental agencies, seized three illegal nets in the Upper Gulf of California, removing about 6,000 meters of netting. Of the 25 totoaba caught, 10 were released alive, while the rest were destroyed to prevent poaching. Two sea turtles were also rescued.
The operation is part of Mexico’s broader efforts to curb illegal totoaba fishing and protect vaquita. The government has collaborated with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which helped remove 9 kilometers of illegal nets earlier in March. The illegal totoaba trade, driven by high demand for swim bladders in China, funds organized crime. In 2023, U.S. authorities seized $2.7 million worth of totoaba swim bladders. Mexico has since implemented stricter measures to address illegal fishing, leading to the lifting of CITES sanctions imposed the same year.