WCC 2016 Res 017 - Activity Report

Submitted by cisneros on Sat, 11/30/2019 - 04:33
General Information
Actions to avert the extinction of the vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus)
IUCN Constituent: 
Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
IUCN Constituent type: 
IUCN Secretariat
Period covered: 
2019
Geographic scope: 
Meso and South America
Country/Territory: 
Mexico
In implementing this Resolution your organization has worked/consulted with...
IUCN Members: 
Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales ( SEMARNAT ) / Mexico
IUCN Commissions: 
IUCN Species Survival Commission 2017-2020 (SSC)
IUCN Secretariat: 
Yes
Other non-IUCN related organisations: 
SADER-Mexico / WHC-UNESCO / CIRVA /CITES
Implementation
Indicate and briefly describe any actions that have been carried out to implement this Resolution: 
ActionDescriptionStatus
Scientific/technical activities-Participation of the Mexican Government to the 43th UNESCO-World Heritage Committee Meeting (Baku, Azerbaijan, 30 June–10 July, 2019) (For details, see the meeting report below) Recalling decision 42 COM 7B.86, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018), taking note that i) despite the significant efforts, illegal fishing of totoaba has continued and even escalated in the Upper Gulf of California resulting in a threat of imminent extinction of the vaquita population; ii) the study requested by the CITES Standing Committee on the current status of totoaba and vaquita, and on the illegal trade and markets, has not been undertaken yet; and taking into account the recommendations of the Comité Internacional para la Recuperación de la Vaquita (CIRVA), the WHC adopted the new decision 43 COM 7B.26 in which decides to inscribe the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Mexico) on the List of World Heritage in Danger and request the State Party to develop, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, a set of corrective measures, a timeframe for their implementation and a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), for examination by the Committee at its 44th session in 2020. On-going
Please report on the result /achievement of the actions taken: 
During 2019, despite ongoing surveillance efforts undertaken in the Upper Gulf of California, as well as measures to prevent illegal international trafficking of totoaba products, no significant results obtained to prevent the imminent extinction of the vaquita population.
What challenges have you encountered in implementing this Resolution and what measures have you taken to overcome them?: 
In addition to the recommendations of the 2018 UNESCO-IUCN mission, urging the Mexican government: i) to follow up on WHC request to ensure that the necessary resources and inter-institutional support be available to start without further delay the transition to fishing gear that does not endanger vaquita and other non-target marine mammals, turtles and sharks, with full engagement of local commu
Identify and briefly describe what future actions are planned for the implementation of this Resolution: 
Future ActionDescription
Scientific/technical activitiesThe Government of Mexico will submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of vaquita, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020. The IUCN Secretariat, as requested and according to the resources available, will provide technical support to future UNESCO-WHC missions and to the ongoing CITES study on the current status of totoaba and vaquita.
Additional Information
External link(s): 
Meeting report 43th session of the WHC (Baku, 2019)
WHC Vaquita Note
Mexican press note
CIRVA Report
July 2019 International Save The Vaquita Day