Ukulahlekelwa ithemba. Ukulahlekelwa i-Vaquita

NguMark J. Spalding, uMongameli

Usuku Lwe-Groundhog Luphinde Luphinde

Kule mpelasonto, ngizwe ukuthi i-Vaquita Porpoise isengozini, isenkingeni, futhi idinga ukuvikelwa ngokushesha. Ngeshwa, lawo mazwi afanayo angase abe, futhi abelokhu eshiwo njalo ngonyaka kusukela maphakathi nawo-1980 lapho ngiqala ukusebenza eBaja California.

Yebo, cishe iminyaka engu-30, siyazi ngesimo seVaquita. Siyazi ukuthi yiziphi izinsongo ezinkulu ekusindeni kweVaquita. Ngisho nasezingeni lesivumelwano samazwe ngamazwe, siyazi ukuthi yini ngempela okufanele yenziwe ukuze kuvinjelwe ukushabalala.

Sekuyiminyaka eminingi, Ikhomishini Yezilwane Ezincelisayo Yasolwandle yase-US ibheka ngokuqinile i-Vaquita njengesilwane esincelisayo sasolwandle esilandelayo okungenzeka sishabalala, futhi sinikele ngesikhathi, amandla nezinsiza ekukhuthazeni ukongiwa nokuvikelwa kwaso. Izwi elikhulu kuleyo khomishini kwaba inhloko yayo, uTim Ragen, osethathe umhlalaphansi. Ngo-2007, ngaba umsizi weNorth American Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s North American Conservation Action Plan for the Vaquita, lapho bobathathu ohulumeni baseNyakatho Melika bavuma khona ukusebenzela ukubhekana nezinsongo ngokushesha. Ngo-2009, sasingumsekeli omkhulu wefilimu kaChris Johnson ebizwa ngokuthi "Ithuba Lokugcina Le-Desert Porpoise."  Le filimu yayihlanganisa ukuthwebula kwevidiyo kokuqala ngqa kwalesi silwane esingatholakali kalula.

I-Vaquita ekhula kancane yaqala ukutholwa ngamathambo nezidumbu ngawo-1950. Ukuma kwayo kwangaphandle akuzange kuchazwe kwaze kwaba ngawo-1980 lapho i-Vaquita iqala ukubonakala emanethini abadobi. Abadobi babelandela ama-finfish, izimfanzi, futhi muva nje, iTotoaba esengozini yokushabalala. I-Vaquita ayiyona i-porpoise enkulu, ngokuvamile ingaphansi kwamamitha angu-4 ubude, futhi idabuka enyakatho yeGulf of California, okuwukuphela kwendawo yayo yokuhlala. Inhlanzi ye-Totoaba iyinhlanzi yasolwandle, ehlukile eGulf of California, okufunwa yisinye ukuze kuhlangatshezwane nesidingo emakethe yase-Asia naphezu kokungekho emthethweni kohwebo. Lesi sidingo saqala ngemva kokuba inhlanzi efana nsé neChina ingasekho ngenxa yokudoba ngokweqile.

I-United States iyimakethe eyinhloko yezindawo zokudoba izimfanzi enyakatho yeGulf of California. Izimfanzi, njenge-finfish kanye ne-Totoaba esengozini zibanjwa ngama-gillnet. Ngeshwa, i-Vaquita ingenye yezisulu zengozi, “i-bycatch,” ebanjwa negiya. I-Vaquita ivame ukubamba i-pectoral fin bese iginqika ukuze iphume—kuphela ukuze ibanjiswe kakhudlwana. Kuyinduduzo encane ukwazi ukuthi babonakala befa ngokushesha ngenxa yokushaqeka kunokuba baphelelwe umoya kancane, futhi okubuhlungu.

I-Vaquita inendawo encane ekhethiwe yokukhosela engxenyeni engenhla yoLwandle LwaseCortez. Indawo yayo yokuhlala inkulu kancane futhi yonke indawo yayo, ngeshwa, iqondana nezimfanzi ezinkulu, izinhlanzi ezimfishane kanye nezindawo zokudoba ezingekho emthethweni zaseTotoaba. Futhi-ke, azikho izimfanzi noma i-Totoaba, noma i-Vaquita engakwazi ukufunda imephu noma ukwazi ukuthi izinsongo zikuphi. Kodwa abantu bangakwazi futhi kufanele.

NgoLwesihlanu, onyakeni wethu Wesithupha Wonyaka I-Southern California Marine Mammal Workshop, kwakunethimba elalizoxoxa ngesimo samanje seVaquita. Isiphetho sibuhlungu, futhi siyadabukisa. Futhi, impendulo yalabo abathintekayo ihlala icasula futhi inganele—futhi indiza phambi kwesayensi, ingqondo evamile, nezimiso zeqiniso zokongiwa kwemvelo.

Ngo-1997, kakade sase sikhathazeke kakhulu ngobuncane benani lezinyane le-Vaquita kanye nezinga layo lokuncipha. Ngaleso sikhathi babelinganiselwa ku-567 abantu. Isikhathi sokusindisa i-Vaquita kwaba ngaleso sikhathi—ukumisa ukuvinjelwa okugcwele kwe-gillnetting kanye nokukhuthaza ezinye izindlela zokuziphilisa namasu kwakungase kusindise i-Vaquita futhi kuzinzise imiphakathi edobayo. Ngokudabukisayo, kwakungekho ntando phakathi komphakathi wezokongiwa kwemvelo noma kubalawuli “yokwenqaba nje” futhi bavikele indawo ezihlala kuyo izimpungushe.

UBarbara Taylor, uJay Harlow kanye nezinye izikhulu ze-NOAA basebenze kanzima ukwenza isayensi ehlobene nolwazi lwethu lwe-Vaquita iqine futhi ingenakuphikiswa. Baze baqinisekisa ohulumeni bobabili ukuthi bavumele umkhumbi wokucwaninga we-NOAA ukuthi uchithe isikhathi e-upper Gulf, usebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bamehlo amakhulu ukuze uthwebule futhi wenze izibalo ze-transect yobuningi besilwane (noma ukuntuleka kwaso). U-Barbara Taylor naye wamenywa futhi wavunyelwa ukuba asebenze kwikhomishana kamongameli waseMexico mayelana nohlelo lokubuyisela lwalowo hulumeni weVaquita.

NgoJuni 2013, uhulumeni waseMexico wakhipha i-Regulatory Standard number 002 eyayala ukuthi kuqedwe amanetha adonsayo endaweni yokudoba. Lokhu kwakufanele kwenziwe cishe nge-1/3 ngonyaka esikhathini esiyiminyaka emithathu. Lokhu akukakafezwa futhi kusemva kweshejuli. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ososayensi esikhundleni salokho basikisela ukuba kuvalwe ngokuphelele konke ukudoba endaweni ehlala iVaquita ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka.

Ngokudabukisayo, kukho kokubili i-US Marine Mammal Commission yanamuhla kanye naphakathi kwabaholi abathile bezokongiwa kwemvelo e-Mexico, kukhona ukuzibophezela okusheshayo esu okungenzeka lasebenza eminyakeni engama-30 edlule kodwa namuhla licishe lihlekwe ngenxa yokuntuleka kwalo. Izinkulungwane zamaRandi neminyaka eminingi kakhulu inikelwe ekuthuthukisweni kwamanye amagiya ukuze kugwenywe ukuphazamisa ukudoba. Ukumane uthi “cha” bekungeyona inketho—okungenani hhayi egameni leVaquita empofu. Esikhundleni salokho, ubuholi obusha e-US Marine Mammal Commission bamukela “isu lokugqugquzela umnotho,” uhlobo oluye lwafakazelwa ukuthi alusebenzi yizo zonke izifundo ezinkulu—kamuva nje umbiko weBhange Lomhlaba, “Ingqondo, Umphakathi, Nokuziphatha.”

Ngisho noma kungazanywa ukuqamba igama elithi “Vaquita safe shrimp” ngegiya elingcono, siyazi ukuthi imizamo enjalo ithatha iminyaka ukuze isetshenziswe futhi yamukelwe ngokugcwele abadobi, futhi ingaba nemiphumela yayo engahlosiwe kwezinye izinhlobo zezilwane. Ngokwesilinganiso samanje, iVaquita inezinyanga, hhayi iminyaka. Nangesikhathi kuqedwa uhlelo lwethu luka-2007, abantu abangama-58% base belahlekile, kwasala abantu abangama-245. Namuhla inani labantu lilinganiselwa kubantu abangama-97. Ukwanda kwenani labantu bemvelo eVaquita cishe kungamaphesenti amathathu kuphela ngonyaka. Futhi, ukuqeda lokhu izinga elibi lokwehla, elilinganiselwa ku-3%, ngenxa yemisebenzi yabantu.

Isitatimende sethonya lokulawula laseMexico esakhishwa ngomhla zingama-23 kuZibandlela wezi-2014 siphakamisa ukuvinjelwa kokudoba ngama-gillnet esifundeni iminyaka emibili kuphela, isinxephezelo esigcwele semali elahlekile yabadobi, ukuqiniswa komthetho, kanye nethemba lokuthi kuzoba nokwenyuka kwezibalo zeVaquita. phakathi nezinyanga ezingama-24. Lesi sitatimende siyisenzo sikahulumeni esisalungiswa esivulekele umphakathi ukuthi uphawule ngakho, ngakho asazi ukuthi uhulumeni waseMexico uzosamukela noma cha.

Ngeshwa, umnotho wemboni yokudoba i-Totoaba engekho emthethweni ingase ishabalalise noma yiliphi icebo, ngisho nalawo abuthaka etafuleni. Bangu imibiko eqinisekisiwe ukuthi izinhlangano zezidakamizwa zaseMexico zibamba iqhaza ekudobeni kweTotoaba ukuze kuthunyelwe ama-fish bladder e-China. Sekubizwa ngisho ngokuthi "i-crack cocaine yezinhlanzi" ngoba isinye seTotoaba sidayisa ngemali elinganiselwa ku-$8500 ikhilogremu; futhi izinhlanzi ngokwazo zihamba nge-$ 10,000-$20,000 ngayinye eShayina.

Noma ngabe yamukelwa, akucaci ukuthi kuzobe sekwanele. Ukuze kusebenze ngisho nangokwencane, kudingeka kube nokuphoqelela okukhulu nokuphusile. Ngenxa yokuzibandakanya kwama-cartels, ukuphoqelela kungenzeka kube yi-Mexican Navy. Futhi, Umbutho Wamasosha Wasemanzini waseMexico kuzodingeka ube nentando yokuvimbela futhi ushaqe izikebhe nezimpahla zokudoba, kubadobi okungenzeka babe semseni wabanye. Nokho, ngenxa yenani eliphakeme lazo zonke izinhlanzi, ukuphepha nokwethembeka kwabo bonke abaphoqeleli umthetho bekuyovivinywa ngokwedlulele. Kodwa-ke, mancane amathuba okuthi uhulumeni waseMexico amukele usizo lwangaphandle lokuqinisa umthetho.

Futhi ngokungananazi, i-US nayo inecala ekuhwebeni okungekho emthethweni. Sinqande i-Totoaba engekho emthethweni eyanele (noma isinye) emngceleni we-US-Mexico nakwezinye izindawo e-California ukuze sazi ukuthi i-LAX noma ezinye izikhumulo zezindiza ezinkulu cishe ziyizindawo zokuthutha. Kufanele kuthathwe izinyathelo zokuqinisekisa ukuthi uhulumeni waseShayina akabambeki ekungeniseni lo mkhiqizo ovunwe ngokungemthetho. Lokhu kusho ukuyisa le nkinga ezingeni lezingxoxo zokuhwebelana neShayina nokunquma lapho kunezimbobo ngenetha ukuhweba kungena khona.

Kufanele sithathe lezi zinyathelo kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyini i-Vaquita kanye nokushabalala kwayo—egameni le-Totoaba esengozini okungenani, nasenzela isiko lokunqanda nokunciphisa ukuhwebelana okungekho emthethweni kwezilwane zasendle, abantu, nezimpahla. Ngiyavuma ukuthi ngidabukile ngenxa yokwehluleka kwethu ngokubambisana ukwenza lokho esasikwazi ngezidingo zalesi silwane esincelisayo sasolwandle esiyingqayizivele emashumini eminyaka edlule, lapho sasinethuba futhi izingcindezi zezomnotho nezombusazwe zazingenamandla kangako.

Ngimangele ukuthi noma ubani obambelele embonweni wokuthi singasungula isu elithi “Vaquita-safe shrimp” kusele abantu abangu-97 kuphela. Ngishaqekile ukuthi iNyakatho Melika ingavumela uhlobo lwezilwane ukuba lusondelane nokushabalala nayo yonke isayensi nolwazi olusezandleni zethu, futhi isibonelo sakamuva sehlengethwa lase-Baiji ukuze lisiqondise. Ngifuna ukuba nethemba lokuthi imindeni empofu edobayo ithola usizo eludingayo ukuze ibuyisele imali etholakala endaweni yokudoba izimfanzi ne-finfish. Ngifuna ukuba nethemba lokuthi sizokhipha zonke izindlela ukuze sivale ukudoba ngama-gillnet futhi sikuphoqelele ngokumelene nezinkampani. Ngifuna ukukholelwa ukuthi singakwazi.

Isithombe esiyinhloko sihlonishwa nguBarb Taylor