In a dramatic mission, Sea Shepherd’s Milagro Task Force aboard the Seahorse made a significant discovery that highlights the escalating threat to marine life in the Vaquita Refuge, specifically within the ZTA extension.
The crew detected what initially appeared to be multiple ghost nets, each located about 250 meters apart.
However, after retrieval and further scanning, it was confirmed that two distinct objects—two deadly ghost nets left by cartel fishermen—were responsible for the sonar readings.
A Complex Retrieval
The first retrieval uncovered a dangerous tangle of multiple net types, specifically a combination of totoaba, shrimp, and chano nets, all wrapped tightly together. This combined net spanned an astonishing 457 meters (1,499 feet).
Despite the complexity of the entanglement, the crew quickly attached the nets to the Seahorse’s upgraded crane and successfully pulled them aboard. Among the tangled nets, the team found and rescued nine octopuses and 15 box crabs, all alive and released back into the ocean.
A Heavily Anchored Challenge
The second retrieval presented a different challenge: a heavily anchored net composed of a combination of totoaba and corvina nets. Measuring 308 meters (1,010 feet), this net was weighed down by a large anchor, making it difficult to extract.
Further analysis will be done once the crew separates the floats, lines, and nets. During this challenging extraction, more marine life—including two crabs and one fish—was found alive and rescued.
Save the Vaquita
This discovery underscores the importance of Sea Shepherd’s ongoing presence in the Vaquita Refuge.
These nets, crafted for the illegal totoaba trade, show a blatant disregard for other marine life and have contributed to pushing the vaquita to the brink of extinction.
Every net pulled from the sea is a step toward saving this critically endangered species.
This article was first published by Sea Shepherd on 28 October 2024. Lead Image: The critically endangered vaquita. Image Credit: Tom Jefferson.
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