Save The Date For International Save The Vaquita Day 2026!
Every year, we and our conservation partners dedicate one day of the year to draw people’s attention to the plight of the vaquita, International Save the Vaquita (ISTV) Day. This year, the event will occur on Saturday, 10 October. As in the past, it will feature a half-day live-streamed event (available for viewing on YouTube and several other platforms), as well as several in-person booths and tables at venues in California and Oregon.
The focus of all these activities will be to increase public awareness, education, and support for the vaquita and its conservation. This year, as the species struggles to survive among the web of illegal gillnets that kill them in the northern Gulf of California, Mexico, we feel a renewed sense of hope. The estimates of the size of the vaquita population, although frighteningly small (about 10-15), appear to have remained relatively stable over the past several years. This suggests that their numbers may no longer be declining. The remaining vaquitas are survivors, and we want to give them the best possible chance to rebuild their species’ numbers. To do so, they need your support, and also for the several things to happen:
- The Mexican Government to stop the illegal fishing that is killing them,
- The Chinese Government to clamp down on the illegal import of totoaba swim bladders that fuel the illegal fishing, and
- The US Government to redouble its efforts to stop the smuggling of totoaba bladders from Mexico to China, through US channels.
Please join us on Saturday, 10 October, as we present the latest findings on the status of the vaquita population, and hear from experts who are working to save the species. The live-streamed event will have a panel discussion at the end, which will provide a chance for viewers to ask questions and have them answered by vaquita scientists and conservation leaders. And be sure to tell all your friends and family members about the vaquita, and this year’s ISTV Day event, so that we can all work together to get the word out to more people! Check back on our website regularly to get updates on the plans and the latest schedule of events. Thank you all for your concern about the vaquita and for doing your part to help save Mexico’s lovely little porpoise from the tragedy of extinction!
