The Cartel’s Cash Catch | VICE Documentary

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Published 2024-06-18
There's a race to save a dozen small cetaceans, the last in the world of their species. They're caught as bycatch in nets set to trap a fish with a huge demand in China. Can anything be done?

It all begins in Mexico, in the Gulf of California, just 97 miles from the US, where the totoaba is endemic. The demand for its swim bladder is at the heart of the issue. Two key towns in this region, San Felipe and Santa Clara, rely almost entirely on fishing shrimp and local fish. Times are perpetually challenging but engaging in illicit totoaba fishing can yield a substantial paycheck. They became overfished in the 2010s when a catch like this could generate hundreds of thousands of dollars each month.

Adding to the severity of the situation for this endangered fish, the nets used to catch this species, as well as those used for local shrimp, have inadvertently captured a small porpoise native to the Gulf of California, Mexico: the vaquita marina. This has pushed it to the brink of extinction. The latest survey in 2024 was only able to spot 6-8 vaquitas, from 10-13 last year. The US is exerting pressure on Mexico over the issue, and scientists, along with environmentalists and law enforcement in several countries, are working tirelessly to save the vaquita, halt totoaba trafficking and develop sustainable alternatives to harmful nets.

Want to watch this in Spanish? Catch the documentary on our VICE en Español channel here:    • El Último Refugio de la Vaquita Marina  

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All Comments (21)
  • @tarzan5621
    Laws and Regulations means zero without enforcement.
  • @Connor-qh6rj
    Vice is back with the real info, real documentations, another well made.
  • @nolongerblocked6210
    I can't explain the shame & sadness I feel as a human knowing that we're destroying species after species & our entire ecosystem/planet, day after day, & only a few people seem to care or speak up. We're literally killing the only habitable planet we know of & nobody really cares to stop it... unless it's profitable 😢😥
  • @candyce6233
    What a sweet way to end the documentary with Jane Goodall in all her beautiful glory ❤
  • @cuhcussington
    it never ceases to amaze me how absolutely unimaginable and niche random products are that ppl pay thousands for. $10,000 for a fish air bladder....Really???
  • @stevenaune2837
    This is quality journalism. Balanced viewpoints and not just skewed propaganda.
  • @chrisw.4318
    The lack of freshwater flowing from the Colorado River delta, where Totoaba spawn, is also a large contributing factor to the population decline.
  • @lilsand.
    the vice of the good old days shines through the energy of this video
  • @Drzzlt
    Thanks for your hard work! keep fighting the good fight
  • @ryz0293
    The so called "health benefits" are along the lines of tigers urine...lol
  • @jjj76120
    Thank you for bringing awareness for the beautiful and endangered Totoboaga. Good light at the tunnel with Jane ❤