Dear President Fox:
The Society for Marine Mammalogy
is an international society of more than 2000 scientists who study whales,
dolphins, porpoise, seals and other marine mammals. It is the largest
professional society in the world dedicated to the study of marine mammals.
Our web sites is http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/.
The previous government of
Mexico faced many challenging environmental issues including the proposed
construction of an evaporative salt production facility at the protected
breeding lagoon for the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) at Laguna
San Ignacio, and the conservation of the highly endangered vaquita, or
Gulf of California harbor porpoise (Phocoena sinus). The Society
for Marine Mammalogy commends the previous administration for its efforts
to conserve these pecies and the habitats on which they depend. We
are hopeful that your administration will continue to play a leading role
in efforts to protect these species and their habitats.
With regard to the vaquita,
the Society for Marine Mammalogy notes that the upper Gulf of California
has been designated by Mexico as a Biosphere Reserve, and that Mexico is
a member of the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita
(CIRVA). These activities will aid in the protection of vital habitat
and recovery of this species. To that end, we encourage you and your
government to support the development and implementation of a recovery
plan for the vaquita that addresses the biological needs of the species
as well as the social and economic needs of the residents and communities
of Baja California. The Society for Marine Mammalogy is willing to
assist in any way it can in your government's actions to prevent the extinction
of the vaquita.
Sincerely,
Daniel K. Odell, Ph.D.
Cc:
Sr. Javier Uzabiaga Arroyo
Dr. Victor Lichtinger
Dr. Antonio Diaz de Leon