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IMATA's Vaquita Rescue Fund

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UPDATE:
Thank you for helping us meet our goal of $5,000 in donations! Now that we've added the matched funds to the total, together we have raised over $10,000!

Let's see how much more we can raise before the campaign ends on March 14th. The sky's the limit!

The vaquita is the most endangered marine mammal in the world and is on the edge of extinction. There are fewer than 30 vaquitas alive today. But with your help, we may be able to save them.

In spite of heroic efforts by the Mexican government to stop illegal gillnet fishing, hundreds of vaquitas have drowned from entanglement in those nets in the past several years. In an unprecedented move demonstrating its commitment to conservation, the Mexican government instituted a gillnet ban throughout the vaquita’s range, provided financial compensation to affected fisherman, and established strong enforcement measures.

Despite these efforts, illegal gillnet fishing continues, targeting a specific fish that is also endangered. The totoaba is not caught for food. Its swim bladder is highly prized in Asian markets for its purported, but unproven, medicinal value.

Emergency action is essential to rescue a number of the remaining animals from their dangerous environment and temporarily relocate then in a safe haven in the northern Gulf of California.

The Consortium for Vaquita Conservation, Protection, and Rescue (VaquitaCPR) has developed a bold conservation plan aimed at preventing the animal’s extinction.
The emergency action plan was adopted by the Mexican government’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). The plan will be implemented in tandem with Mexico’s ongoing efforts to end illegal fishing and remove gillnets from the Upper Gulf of California.

Under the plan, animals will be located, rescued, housed, and cared for by animal specialists and veterinarians. A sanctuary sea pen will be constructed. The vaquitas will be released once their habitat is free of gillnets.

Implementation of this ambitious conservation plan is estimated to cost more than $3.7 million in 2017 alone and could take several years. There is an urgent need for immediate funding of $1 million by March 15 so the project’s timeline can stay on track.

For the first $5,000 in donations, IMATA offered a dollar-for-dollar match on donations (up to a total IMATA contribution of $5,000) made via gofundme. Since the original gofundme campaign goal was exceeded, IMATA is pleased to announce that any unmatched donations will also be allocated for vaquita rescue!

Incoming funds will be routed through The National Marine Mammal Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit charity chosen to lead program and fund management in the United States.  Once funding can be secured, plans to set the stage for the vaquita rescue will begin immediately, in parallel with ongoing efforts to end illegal fishing and remove the threat of gillnets in the northern Gulf of California.

Despite the risks and the unknowns, we cannot turn our heads and allow the surviving, tiny porpoises to simply disappear.

Please donate today.

Organizer and beneficiary

International Marine Animal Trainers' Association
Organizer
San Diego, CA
Sarah Brignac
Beneficiary

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