The Cartel Of The Sea

To save the world’s most incredible marine ecosystem, we must take down a cartel.

I first came across this issue when I watched an interview on Captain Paul Watson’s experience building Sea Shepard’s reputation, and his relentless journey in finding justice for this planet that “Homo Sapiens” don’t deserve. He was interviewed by Parley for the Oceans Founder, Cyrill Gutsch. In the interview, the Captain spoke of his adventures fighting against Russian Whalers; blocking huge sealing vessels from harp seals, to ramming down infamous pirate whalers like the Sierra.

His current battle is to save a critically endangered marine mammal called the Vaquita, found only in Mexico, from extinction.

This was mentioned briefly in the interview and it prompted me to research more on this mammal. I had to guess the name of this mammal on Google a few times before finding a correct match. When I found it, it was just heart-wrenching to know that these shy, reserved creatures which we know very little about due to their rarity are being driven to extinction by our greed.  

The “World’s Aquarium”

Half a world away, off the coast of Mexico, is the beautiful Sea of Cortez. Jacques Cousteau, famous undersea explorer once called it the “World’s Aquarium”. This 700-mile-long gulf is home to nearly a thousand fish species, 5,000 types of invertebrates and a variety of rare marine mammals and sea turtles. Pelagic species like the Humpback, Killer, and Sperm Whales often migrate to the Sea of Cortez to feed and reproduce. On certain occasions, the gulf is visited by the largest creature -the Blue Whale. To put things in perspective, biodiversity flourishes here as 1 in 10 of the species that live in the Sea of Cortez are endemic. This means that these species can only be found in this area and nowhere else on earth. One of these marine animals is the Vaquita – a porpoise which has drastically declined over the years.

Exploitation of Paradise

With great biodiversity comes exploitation by humans. The Sea of Cortez is one of Mexico’s prime source of income. We exploit these waters with unregulated commercial fishing, sportfishing and tourism. Commercial shrimping is the most important fishing industry in Mexico, catching 40,000 tons of shrimp and bringing in an annual $260 million in landings.

The biggest culprit to the destruction of paradise is this unregulated commercial fishing. It is ecologically devastating as this fishing method uses bottom trawlers – where nets are dragged along the seafloor. This practice has destroyed seabeds, gulping up century-old corals, fish, and anything in its path. It caused mass destruction of entire ecosystems across the world. In the gulf, it can be noted that for every pound of shrimp caught, the trawlers would pull out 40 pounds of bycatch. Thousands of tons of rare marine species are mercilessly killed off. Years of unregulated fishing is destroying what was once a paradise.

However, another darker, graver danger for these species lurks in these waters. An issue that puts Mexico in the spotlight to marine conservationists.

The Cocaine of the Sea

Mexico is famous for their long stretches of virgin beaches, white sands and beautiful coastal resorts. Unfortunately, they are also infamous for their brutal drug cartels which have terrorized not only the country but other parts of Latin America. However, there is one notable criminal organisation often disregarded by governments, but causes severe environmental impact to the planet: The Cartel of the Sea.

This Cartel does not dabble in Cocaine or Marijuana. It traffics an even more possibly lucrative product – the Totoaba. Totoaba is also one of the endemic species found only in the waters of Mexico and this Cartel has all but wiped out this species. This fish is hunted for its swim bladders which are smuggled to China for sale on the black market. It is claimed to have medicinal properties that can cure ailments like arthritis. However, similar to its other troubling and disturbing trade counterparts, there are no scientific evidence that proves this product is useful in any way. An undercover investigation conducted by the Elephant Action League (EAL) found that these swim bladders, called fish maws, are sold in Guandong province for an average price of $20,000 per kilogram. It is an even more lucrative trade than drugs as in 2015. Mexico’s federal environment agency, Profepa revealed that the Totoaba maws were more valuable than cocaine in the country, with a kg selling for the same price as 1.5kg of the drug. EAL also found that swim bladders are 10 times more valuable than caviar and 30 times more than elephant ivory. The astounding price paid has led to the maws being dubbed the “Cocaine of the Sea”.

Back to The Vaquita

This cartel is not only bringing the Totoaba to the brink of extinction, but they are also killing off another endemic, critically endangered species, the Vaquita – of which no more than 10 are left in the world as predicted in 2020.

Totoaba gillnetting has proven to be the primary cause of death for the Vaquita. To explicitly describe this fishing method, gill nets work by catching fish from their gills. As currents sweep the fish towards the nets, the fish have no choice but to pass through it and are caught by their gills when they attempt to escape.This only makes it worse as they get tangled up in the net. Vaquitas share the same gloomy fate as these fish.

This cartel has been known to be ruthless and are against anyone who gets in their way. The authorities, conservationists and fishermen in this area are not spared. The Totoaba cartels have set fires to Mexican navy ships and buildings, thrown Molotov cocktails at activists’ boats like Sea Shepherd that help petrol and monitor this territory. The authorities say that they are increasingly operating like Mexico’s powerful and brutal drug cartels. To ensure enhanced security, Sea Shephered have decided to carry armed soldiers and police aboard its ships.

The Reality

Solving the Vaquita crisis is not the Mexican government’s priority. López Obrador, the current president of Mexico, has other plans. A few of these goals are opening more oil refineries, building a new airport in an urban zone and a train that would run through a delicate jungle ecosystem. These are the goals they hope to achieve, regardless of several environmental catastrophes that would follow suit

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has threatened Mexico with fishing trade sanctions if it fails to impose measures to protect the Vaquita. However, this means Mexican fishermen who depend on the Sea of Cortez for their livelihood would not be able to export their products.This would generate a financial crisis for fishing villages that depend on this trade and these waters for years. There has not been any economic alternative provided to these thousands of fishermen. These desperate fishermen who have no other choice would be forced to join the ranks of the Cartel of the Sea so that they can continue to earn a living. This vicious cycle will continue, even when the Vaquitas are long extinct.

For exports to stop, we need to break off the demand. If this COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the illegal wildlife trade poses a concerning public health issue. It may seem like a conservation issue initially, but it is now potentially a threat to biodiversity, public health and the economy. Harsher penalties and a complete ban are essential, especially in China’s market with the highest demand of Totoaba swim bladders and in areas where wildlife trade is still legal under Chinese domestic law.

The Totoabas are said to arrive in these waters between November and May. Early into the season, activists have spotted as many as 80 boats throwing fishing nets in the heart of the Vaquita refuge. The season is coming to an end, and we will soon know the fate of these Vaquitas. If miraculously these species survive beyond the month of May,it is dire that the relevant authorities work with the local fishing communities to curb the illegal fishing of these endangered species.. The Vaquita’s days are numbered.