WC Resolution 1994-3

Resolution on Biosphere Reserve of the Upper Gulf of California and the Colorado River Delta AWARE that the vaquita, which is endemic to the Upper Gulf of California, is endangered, and that the Scientific Committee reviewed the first quantitative estimate for this species and confirmed previous conclusions that it is very rare;

RECOGNISING therefore the need to ensure that the vaquita population is able to increase as rapidly as possible from its current low levels;

WELCOMING the decision of the Mexican Government to establish the Technical Committee for the Protection of the Vaquita and the Totoaba, which has worked to further the conservation of the ecosystem within which the vaquita resides and has developed a plan for its recovery;

AWARE of the vaquita's small population size and current evidence that indicates that incidental catches could cause its extinction;

RECOGNIZING that the Mexican Government should continue to monitor the fishing activity and incidental mortality of vaquita throughout the entire range of the species; AWARE OF the decision by the Mexican Government to restrict fishing operations in the core area of the "Biosphere Reserve" and the immediate need to eliminate incidental catches of vaquita throughout the entire range of the species; and

CONSCIOUS of the sovereign rights of Mexico within its coastal waters and of the socio-economic challenges facing local communities affected by the ban on driftnetting in those waters;

NOW THEREFORE the Commission:

(1)CONGRATULATES AND COMMENDS the Mexican Government for the establishment of the "Biosphere Reserve" in the Upper Gulf of California, established on June 10, 1993, by President Carlos Salinas de Gortari;

(2) FURTHER COMMENDS Mexico for applying an ecosystem approach to conservation in declaring that the "Biosphere Reserve" includes the area's fragile habitat as well as marine and terrestrial species;

(3) COMPLIMENTS Mexico for the successful efforts of the Technical Committee for the Protection of the Vaquita and the Totoaba, and for the information submitted on the National Research and Conservation activities during IWC 46;

(4) INVITES the Mexican Government to develop expeditiously an overall management plan for the "Biosphere Reserve"; and

(5) FURTHER INVITES IWC member nations to offer to the Mexican Government such technical, scientific, and financial assistance on mutually agreed terms to implement the management plan.