World Whale and Dolphin Day Highlights Threats and Conservation Efforts

Every July 23, World Whale and Dolphin Day serves as a reminder of the ongoing threats facing cetaceans, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warning that one in four species is at risk of extinction. The date commemorates the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which marked a turning point in marine conservation Source: mileniomx. However, despite the ban, cetaceans still face numerous challenges.

Extinction Risk

According to the IUCN, 26% of the 93 evaluated cetacean species are threatened Source: infobae. The most vulnerable are freshwater species, all of which are at risk. The vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise, is critically endangered and endemic to the Gulf of California Source: infobae. Other critically endangered species include the Yangtze River dolphin, possibly functionally extinct, and Rice's whale.

Threats in Mexico

Mexico is home to eight whale species, including blue, gray, and humpback whales. The Gulf of California, a biodiversity hotspot, faces new dangers from liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects like Saguaro Energía and AMIGO GNL Source: infobae. These projects increase ship traffic, raising the risk of collisions and noise pollution that disrupt whale migration and breeding. Environmental groups and indigenous communities have filed legal actions to declare the Gulf a critical habitat, aiming to bolster legal protections Source: infobae.

Key ongoing threats include:

• Plastic pollution and accidental capture in fishing nets.
• Ship strikes and underwater noise.
• Climate change affecting ocean temperatures and prey availability Source: mileniomx.