A tangled net: Counterproductive conservation pathways in the case of vaquita (Phocoena sinus) conservation

The plight of the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) in the Upper Gulf of California is one of the highest profile cases of marine mammal bycatch. The main threat to this Critically Endangered species has been bycatch in gillnets for... [ view full abstract ]

The plight of the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) in the Upper Gulf of California is one of the highest profile cases of marine mammal bycatch. The main threat to this Critically Endangered species has been bycatch in gillnets for shrimp fisheries (a vital livelihood for local communities) and the illegal totoaba fishery.  However, conservation actions, including a gillnet ban with a compensation scheme for fishers, set pathways into motion that likely impeded conservation.  Using scenario analysis, we interviewed diverse stakeholders – fishers, community members, government agencies, conservation groups, researchers – about the process, impacts, and possible future outcomes of vaquita conservation.  In particular, we elicited perceptions on two proposed future scenarios, one where the gillnet ban continues, and one where it ends. 

 Applying a logic model approach, we evaluated pathways from conservation actions to outcomes reported by respondents. We identified possible intervention points where these pathways could be transformed for more desirable outcomes for conservation and communities.  Conservation actions have not matched the situation’s complexity, leaving underlying problems unmitigated while exacerbating stakeholder conflict.  Key gaps include lack of: oversight in the compensation program; support for communities transitioning from gillnet-based livelihoods; and meaningful inclusion of communities.  Potential productive pathways, where vaquita conservation could have been an opportunity for positive social-ecological outcomes, include collaborative efforts to end the totoaba fishery and address social-ecological needs through participatory research, partnerships across sectors, and investment in social and ecological issues beyond the vaquita. This holds important lessons for the worldwide threat of bycatch in small-scale fisheries.