WEBVTT - Can the Endangered Vaquita Porpoise Be Saved?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff. Lauren bogabam here. Jacques Cousteau, renowned sea explorer

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<v Speaker 1>and scuba pioneer, spent decades exploring oceans and rivers all

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<v Speaker 1>across the globe, but few places could match the rich

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<v Speaker 1>biodiversity of the Gulf of California, a narrow seven hundred

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<v Speaker 1>mile long sea that's about eleven kilometers that separates the

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<v Speaker 1>Baja California Peninsula from mainland Mexico. Custo affectionately called it

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<v Speaker 1>the World's aquarium due to its remarkable array of marine species.

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<v Speaker 1>But today the underwater masterpieces in critical danger of losing

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<v Speaker 1>one of its unique denizens forever, and scientists can't emphasize

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<v Speaker 1>enough just how truly dire the situation has become for

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<v Speaker 1>one of the world's most adorable mammals. The total number

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<v Speaker 1>of Bikita, a small porpoise endemic to the Gulf of California,

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<v Speaker 1>has windled down to just around ten as of this recording,

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<v Speaker 1>making the Wikita the world's most endangered marine mammal. While

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<v Speaker 1>not all hope is lost for their survival, it hinges

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<v Speaker 1>on immediate action for the Mexican government and local fishers.

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<v Speaker 1>The Wikita is the world's smallest cetacean, which is the

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<v Speaker 1>order of aquatic mammals that includes whales, purpoises, and dolphins.

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<v Speaker 1>They only grow up to five feet that's one and

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<v Speaker 1>a half meters in length, and weigh in at no

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<v Speaker 1>more than twenty pounds or about fifty five kilos. Their

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<v Speaker 1>faces look like an adorable porpoise emoji, with black rings

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<v Speaker 1>around their eyes and lips that give the impression of

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<v Speaker 1>a perpetual grin. Vikita means little cow in Spanish. The

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<v Speaker 1>locals likely chose the name because the porpoises facial markings

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<v Speaker 1>have a bovine resemblance. The scientists are unsure of whether

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<v Speaker 1>the markings serve a purpose. Vikitas have a rounded head

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<v Speaker 1>and spade shaped teeth and no beak. Despite their small stature,

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<v Speaker 1>their triangular dorsal fin is larger than that of many

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<v Speaker 1>other porpoises, most likely to help them lower their body

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<v Speaker 1>temperature in their warm water habitat. If you've never heard

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<v Speaker 1>of the wikida, it's quite possibly due to the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that they were only first identified and studied in the

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<v Speaker 1>mid twentieth century and seemed to be quite shy even

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<v Speaker 1>though they inhabit waters relatively close to shore and don't

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<v Speaker 1>often swim deeper than nine ft or thirty meters, they've

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<v Speaker 1>only come to the surface every few minutes for three

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<v Speaker 1>seconds at a time, and tend to stay in small

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<v Speaker 1>groups away from motorized boats. Many endangered species are dying

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<v Speaker 1>off due to some combination of habitat loss, pollution, or disease,

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<v Speaker 1>but the Wikidas demise stems from something much more simple

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<v Speaker 1>that could be much more easily remedied. For the article,

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<v Speaker 1>this episode is based on How Stuff Works. Spoke by

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<v Speaker 1>email with Sarah Yuhleman, the International Program Director and Senior

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<v Speaker 1>attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. She said the

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<v Speaker 1>key faces a single threat entanglement in fishing gear set

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<v Speaker 1>to catch shrimp and a giant fish called the totohaba. Historically,

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<v Speaker 1>most of the shrimp cought in the wikita's habitat was

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<v Speaker 1>shipped to the US market. The totoabas swim bladder is

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<v Speaker 1>consumed mostly in China, where it's believed to have medicinal properties.

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<v Speaker 1>The Wikita's population has declined by in the last thirty years,

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<v Speaker 1>entirely because of entanglement and deadly fishing nets, So why

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<v Speaker 1>don't fishers and local governments step up and stop the

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<v Speaker 1>detrimental fishing in the area. It all comes down to money.

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<v Speaker 1>Totaaba's fish bladder, depending on its weight and other factors,

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<v Speaker 1>is reported to bring in anywhere from two thousand dollars

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<v Speaker 1>to more than thirty thousand, creating a lucrative and thriving

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<v Speaker 1>black market. So does the Wikita have a chance of survival?

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<v Speaker 1>Many endangered species struggle with the genetic effects of inbreeding

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<v Speaker 1>once their population reaches such a small size, but there

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<v Speaker 1>is some good news for the Kita. How Stuff Works

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<v Speaker 1>also spoke by email with Barbara Taylor, the lead Wikita

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<v Speaker 1>researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAH.

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<v Speaker 1>As she said, even though there are only around ten remaining,

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<v Speaker 1>we have evidence that they're not threatened by genetic factors.

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<v Speaker 1>These survivors and their calves need protection from gill nets

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<v Speaker 1>by guarding the small area where they remain and ensuring

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<v Speaker 1>there's no gillnet fishing of any kind there. Yulman said,

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<v Speaker 1>we're at the end of the line for the Wikita.

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<v Speaker 1>For decades, the Mexican public, scientists and conservationists have pleaded

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<v Speaker 1>with the Mexican government to finally protect the Wikita. Mexico

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<v Speaker 1>has the right laws in place. It is illegal to

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<v Speaker 1>fish with deadly gillnets in the vikita's habitat, but the

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<v Speaker 1>Mexican government lacks the will to enforce its own law,

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<v Speaker 1>and just last week dozens of boats were documented fishing

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<v Speaker 1>illegally within the vikita's habitat. Mexico must crack down and

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<v Speaker 1>end illegal fishing now or will lose the Wikita forever.

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<v Speaker 1>There's an additional factor that makes enforcing the law the

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<v Speaker 1>only viable option for the Wikidas survival. Captive breeding has

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<v Speaker 1>proven too difficult and too risky with the Wikida, Taylor explained,

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<v Speaker 1>the two wakedas captured responded poorly to handling, with one

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<v Speaker 1>released with signs of stress and the second that died.

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<v Speaker 1>Capture myopathy, in which muscle damage results from extreme exertion, struggle,

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<v Speaker 1>or stress, is common in mammals, but with only ten

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<v Speaker 1>individuals remaining, veterinarians didn't feel they could afford to learn

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<v Speaker 1>how to stop the cascade of stress resulting in death,

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<v Speaker 1>and such learning needs to happen when there are hundreds

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<v Speaker 1>or thousands of individuals, not tens. The wikida is a

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<v Speaker 1>true treasure of the sea that, while in great danger,

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<v Speaker 1>can be saved with swift action. It's common to feel

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<v Speaker 1>powerless to affect change, but you can help save the

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<v Speaker 1>wikita through your support of various organizations that are leading

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<v Speaker 1>urgent conservation efforts, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders

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<v Speaker 1>of Wildlife, and the World Wildlife Fund. The Porpoise Conservation

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<v Speaker 1>Society even offers a way to feel that direct connection.

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<v Speaker 1>You can symbolically adopt a vikita and help give them

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<v Speaker 1>a chance to swim the seeds for years to come.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode is based on the article with fewer than

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<v Speaker 1>ten left, can the Wakita b Say? On house to

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<v Speaker 1>works dot com, written by Katie Carmen. Green Stuff is

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<v Speaker 1>production of I Heart Radio in partnership with hows toff

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<v Speaker 1>works dot Com, and it is produced by Tyler Clang.

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