Chapter III — Species of Special Concern 



commending the Mexican Government for creating a 

 biosphere reserve in the upper Gulf of California (see 

 below) and encouraging Mexico to develop a manage- 

 ment plan for the reserve. At the 1995 meeting 

 Mexico reported to the IWC on actions taken with 

 regard to the reserve. In addition to enforcing exist- 

 ing regulations and improving measures to prevent 

 environmental degradation, the Mexican Government 

 is encouraging scientific research, environmental 

 monitoring, education programs, and eco-tourism in 

 the area. 



Creation of a Biosphere Reserve 



In June 1993 the Mexican Government created a 

 biosphere reserve in the northern Gulf of California to 

 conserve the ecosystems of the Sonoran Desert, the 

 upper Gulf of California, and the Rio Colorado delta; 

 provide permanent protection to unique species such 

 as the totoaba, the vaquita, the desert pupfish, and 

 various bird species; and promote scientific investiga- 

 tion and environmental education in the region. 



A draft management plan for the reserve has been 

 developed. It incorporates input from local residents 

 as well as information obtained from recent studies of 

 the area and its ecosystems. The plan describes the 

 physical, biological, social, and economic environ- 

 ments of the area and reviews activities underway to 

 study, protect, and use the area's natural resources. 

 The final plan, entitled "Programa de Manejo: Re- 

 serva de la Biosfera Alto Golfo de California y Delta 

 del Rio Colorado" (Management Program: Upper 

 Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Bio- 

 sphere Reserve), is expected to be approved and 

 released by spring 1996. 



Other Conservation Efforts 



As discussed in previous annual reports, in 1992 

 the President of Mexico established the Comite 

 Tecnico para la Preservacion de la Totoaba y la 

 Vaquita (Technical Committee for the Preservation of 

 the Totoaba and the Vaquita) to plan, evaluate, and 

 coordinate research on the totoaba and vaquita and to 

 recommend actions to preserve both species. 



Recognizing the need for a framework to coordi- 

 nate international efforts to protect the vaquita, the 

 Marine Mammal Commission consulted with the 

 chairman of the technical committee as to whether the 

 Commission might assist in developing a vaquita 

 recovery plan. The offer was accepted and support 

 was provided for the committee chairman to prepare 

 a recovery plan. The purposes of the plan are to 

 encourage and coordinate research and management 

 efforts by environmental groups, research institutions, 

 and government agencies of Mexico and the United 

 States. 



The recovery plan, which was completed in March 

 1993 (see Appendix B, Villa-Ramirez 1993), calls for 

 assessments of population size and trends, distribution 

 and range, and life history and ecology, and develop- 

 ment of programs to educate fishermen and the 

 general public about the vaquita and its status. In 

 1993 the Commission provided additional support to 

 translate the plan into Spanish and distribute it to 

 researchers and interested parties in Mexico. 



Efforts to Strengthen Import Restrictions 



In November 1991 the Marine Mammal Commis- 

 sion wrote to the National Marine Fisheries Service 

 and the Fish and Wildlife Service, noting that illegal 

 importation of totoaba into the United States appeared 

 to be continuing. Because the species was most often 

 imported in the form of fillets, it was impossible to 

 visually distinguish totoaba from closely related 

 species. Among other things, the Commission called 

 for efforts to develop a test to distinguish totoaba 

 fillets from other fish fillets. 



In 1992 researchers the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service developed a biochemical test to distinguish 

 totoaba from related species. In 1993 the Service, in 

 cooperation with the U.S. Customs Service, made 

 intensive efforts to intercept totoaba fillets at the U.S./ 

 Mexican border. Ten fillets suspected of being 

 totoaba were seized and analyzed using the biochemi- 

 cal test. In all cases, the fish were not totoaba. 



During 1994 and 1995 the Service continued to 

 work with Customs officials to make spot checks for 

 totoaba fillets, respond to any reports of suspected 



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