The Solutions

Stop the Demand

The Earth League International is a nonprofit organization entirely focused on intelligence collection and investigation of wildlife trafficking. ELI’s efforts support law enforcement and government agencies in their fight against wildlife crime. ELI is working to address the root of the problem in the fight to save vaquitas through Operation Fake Gold. The team continues to gather information and investigate onsite in Mexico, China, and the US; evaluate information with their crime analysts and intelligence experts; and produce both public and confidential intelligence reports for government and law enforcement authorities in all three countries. ELI aims to create sustainable, long-term change through providing the information necessary to spark concrete actions addressing the demand and market for totoaba.

Funding Urgently Needed

Donate today to support the field effortS and ongoing conservation measures to protect vaquitas. VaquitaCPR is currently fundraising to directly support Project Esperanza's conservation activities led by Museo de la Ballena.

Project Esperanza

Critical Update – Summer 2021: The conservation actions below remain important to vaquita conservation; however, they have been impacted by the Mexican government’s decision to lift the fishing ban in the vaquita refuge. VaquitaCPR and Project Esperanza are now directing support to Earth League International’s current efforts to combat the wildlife crime that is driving the decline of the vaquita population and to ongoing acoustic monitoring efforts.

These conservation initiatives have been recommended by CIRVA and endorsed by the Scientific Committee of the IWC. Through these initiatives, Project Esperanza aims to support local fishers and organizations working to implement and enhance these efforts.

LATEST NEWS FROM THE FIELD

VAQUITA EXPEDITION UPDATE: Vaquita mother and calf sighted! The team is hopeful after sighting this pair. Vaquitas have a chance to rebound. Please support ongoing conservation efforts through VaquitaCPR’s Project Esperanza by making a donation.

Global Awareness

VaquitaCPR’s Project Esperanza is also urgently working to raise global awareness of the vaquita crisis. Today, vaquitas are navigating the dangerous waters of the Upper Gulf of California, where gillnets have already taken countless vaquita lives. Unless we gain the world’s support to solve these difficult problems, the last vaquitas will drown in gillnets. Project Esperanza aims to inform and inspire the public to start a conversation about the vaquita crisis and engage in meaningful conservation efforts locally and globally. Saving a species will take each and every one of us – working together to create healthy oceans and thriving coastal communities. View our supporters

What can you do?

Use your voice

We owe it to each of the remaining vaquitas to sound an alarm that is heard round the world. Help us tell their story. Talk about vaquitas that are drowning, fishermen who are struggling, and the illegal fishery that is to blame. Talk about it at the water cooler and at the dinner table. And talk about how we still have time to pull them back from the edge of extinction. Then start sharing. Tweet it, post it, and blog it. #vaquitacpr @vaquitacpr

Use your heart

You can make a difference today by supporting VaquitaCPR’s Project Esperanza. Your contribution will directly support the current critical conservation efforts aimed at bringing vaquitas back from the brink of extinction.  

Use your mind

Open your mind to the benefits of choosing sustainably-caught seafood. Talk to your local restaurants, grocers, and other seafood providers about the importance of sustainable fisheries. Increasing the demand for sustainable seafood will support the creation of alternative fishing methods that protect oceans and ecosystems all over the world. 

Paco Valverde Fund