Together with two other entities, the Algarve’s marine theme park is collaborating with Pesca ABC to encourage alternative fishing methods to save the Vaquita from extinction.
Zoomarine, Yaqu Pacha, a non-profit association that studies and protects marine mammals, and Nuremberg Zoo announced their support for Pesca ABC, an organisation promoting sustainable fishing in Mexicos’ northern gulf of California.
Led by local fishermen, Pesca ABC’s efforts aim to help reverse the threat of extinction facing the Vaquita, a cetacean belonging to the Phocoena sinus species, considered the most endangered marine mammal in the world.
The three entities are collaborating with Pesca ABC to encourage the use of alternative fishing methods, instead of gillnets, to protect the Vaquita from extinction. This initiative aims to protect local livelihoods, as the main reason for species’ decline is the mortality caused by drifting nets, commonly used in legal and illegal fishing activities.
In support of this partnership and objective, Pesca ABC has invested in promoting hook-line fishing – a proven sustainable method that enables fishermen to carry on with their work while safeguarding the Vaquita. Adopting this technique makes it possible to prevent the unintentional capture of non-targeted species (those without commercial value), like the Vaquita. This approach contrasts with using driftnets, which, due to their indiscriminate nature, are the primary reason for the decline in this species. It also enables fishermen to better preserve the fish’s value, as the fish reach the boats without getting crushed or frequently dying.
For João Neves, director of Science and Conservation at Zoomarine, “conservation solutions of the future must necessarily be focused on various dimensions of society, and not just with direct actions on species, as was once the norm”, he begins.
“The process of human choice, here through the acceptance and implementation of more appropriate and species-friendly fishing gear, is, in fact, one of the most important factors in any conservation effort. For this reason, Zoomarine is particularly proud to actively participate in this joint conservation mission. This mission, we hope, will help reverse a negative fate for the Vaquita and truly reflects the complex challenges that more and more species face worldwide,” he says.
ABC Fishing thus promotes the use of humane techniques in the post-capture process, which increases the quality, shelf life and price of the fish. Consequently, this contributes to fishermen abandoning gillnets in favour of fishing with hook and line.
With the support of Yaqu Pacha and other organisations, Pesca ABC has invested in initiatives to promote sustainable fishing. These include creating a catalogue of gillnet-free techniques and measures that promote varied livelihoods that are less dependent on the use of nets, which contributes to the preservation of the Vaquita.
