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 PENNSYLVANIA STATE 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 JUL A 6 1993 
 OOCUMENTSCOUECTjC 
 
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 beauty... 
 
 tranquillity... 
 
 and endangered species. 
 

 The Sea of Cortez 
 
 A natural treasure. A place rich with marine life, 
 saltwater marshes, and isolated sandy beaches. A 
 place cherished by many because of its superb fishing, 
 mild winter climate, and relaxed atmosphere. 
 
 Most tourists vacationing near the Sea of Cortez, 
 Mexico, have a deep appreciation for protecting the 
 living marine resources found there. But some may 
 be unintentionally contributing to a problem that could 
 threaten the existence of two species, one of which is 
 among the world's most endangered marine mammals. 
 
 Totoaba and Vaquita 
 
 Endemic to the central and northern Sea of Cortez, 
 the marine fish, totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi), and 
 the Gulf of California harbor porpoise (Phocoena 
 sinus), commonly referred to as vaquita, are both 
 listed as endangered species under the U.S. Endan- 
 gered Species Act. 
 
Found exclusively in the shallow waters of the 
 extreme northern Sea of Cortez, the vaquita has the 
 most limited geographic range of any marine cetacean 
 (a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoise). 
 The vaquita has black eye patches and a large curved 
 dorsal fin and is one of the world' s smallest cetaceans, 
 measuring no more than 4.5 feet in length. The Gulf 
 of California harbor porpoise is a rare and seriously 
 endangered species with only an estimated 300-500 
 individuals remaining. 
 
 VAQUITA [Phocoena sinus) 
 
 The totoaba is a large, bottom-dwelling marine 
 fish, renowned for its large size of up to 300 pounds 
 and 6 feet in length. Totoaba, a type of "corvina," 
 closely resembles white seabass (Cynoscion nobilis) 
 
and orangemouth corvina (Cynoscion xanthulus), 
 however, totoaba may be distinguished from all the 
 other corvinas by the presence of three pairs of chin 
 pores (see photograph on back cover). At one time, 
 totoaba supported an important commercial and 
 sport fishery, based primarily on its annual spring 
 breeding migration (January to June ) to the shallow, 
 brackish waters near the mouth of the Colorado 
 River. Today there are no longer enough of these fish 
 to support any fishery. 
 
 The Problem 
 
 Due to severe depletion from overfishing and habi- 
 tat alteration, Mexico enacted laws to protect totoaba 
 in 1975. Despite these protections, totoaba continues 
 to be caught with gillnets in the northern Sea of Cortez. 
 Some of these fish are kept and sold through restau- 
 rants, fish markets and fishermen's homes. The con- 
 tinued consumption of totoaba, either in ignorance or 
 intentionally, contributes to the plight of this endan- 
 gered species. 
 
 A totoaba caught in a gillnet 
 
Vaquita killed in gillnets 
 
 Reduction in the consumption of totoaba may re- 
 duce the amount ofgillnet fishing and save the vaquita 
 from entanglement. An estimated 30 to 40 vaquitas 
 incidentally drown in gillnets in the northern Sea of 
 Cortez each year. Although the primary source of this 
 incidental mortality is the illegal totoaba gillnet fish- 
 ery, a commercial gillnet fishery for sharks, rays and 
 other small fish in the upper Sea of Cortez also inci- 
 dentally kills vaquita. This mortality rate is high, 
 relative to the vaquita' s low rate of reproduction and 
 small population size, and may soon lead to the 
 species' extinction. 
 
 Laws 
 
 If vow are traveling to the northern Sea of Cortez. 
 please be aware that Mexico and the United States 
 have laws that protect totoaba: 
 
 1. Under U.S. laws, it is unlawful to bring 
 totoaba into the United States. 
 
 Violators are subject to the civil and criminal 
 provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act 
 and Lacey Act, including a maximum fine of 
 $50,000 or a prison sentence of up to ONE 
 YEAR in jail. 
 
 2. Please consult Mexican officials to obtain the 
 current Mexican regulations protecting 
 totoaba. 
 
 The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), in 
 cooperation with U.S. Customs officials, has in- 
 creased enforcement operations at the U.S./Mexico 
 border to detect the illegal entry of totoaba. Also, the 
 
NMFS has established a new forensic method to iden- 
 tify totoaba. Whole or processed fish (e.g., fillets) that 
 is suspected to be totoaba, may be seized for analysis. 
 
 Involvement 
 
 YOU can help conserve totoaba and vaquita by 
 observing the following: 
 
 1. Do not BUY totoaba (also called totuava, 
 machorro); 
 
 2. Do not attempt to smuggle totoaba across the 
 border; 
 
 3. If you are sportfishing in the Sea of Cortez 
 and you accidentally catch a totoaba, release 
 it, IMMEDIATELY! 
 
 4. Share your concern of totoaba and vaquita 
 with others and encourage them to help. 
 
 Conservation 
 
 A unique marine realm awaits the visitor to the Sea 
 of Cortez. The Sea of Cortez supports a rich biological 
 community including a vast array of marine inverte- 
 brates, fishes and mammals. Each species plays a 
 special role in maintaining the biological diversity and 
 integrity of the Sea of Cortez' s marine ecosystem. 
 
 The NMFS encourages interest by the American 
 public in conserving the Sea of Cortez' s living marine 
 resources. The conservation of totoaba and vaquita is 
 a tremendous challenge which ultimately lies with 
 those who care about the future of the resources in the 
 Sea of Cortez. 
 
ifGolfo De Santa Clara 
 San-SSL 
 
 • Punta Penasco 
 
 Cabo San Lucas 
 
 Distribution map of totoaba and vaquita 
 
 This information is provided as part of an educational 
 campaign sponsored by the NMFS to inform the public 
 about the conservation of totoaba and vaquita. If you 
 would like more information about totoaba and vaquita 
 or about NMFS programs or activities, write to: 
 Protected Species Management Division, National 
 Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region, 501 West 
 Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, California 
 90802-4213. 
 
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