Swine flu puts porpoise on brink (BBC) {endangered vaquita}

[eppur_se_muova]

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News, Madeira

Mexico's twin crises - swine flu and the economy - may derail a plan to save the world's most endangered cetacean.

Only about 150 vaquita are left, and about 30 are dying each year through becoming entangled in fishing nets.

The government has cut funding aimed at taking fishing boats out of service or adopting vaquita-friendly equipment.

The vaquita, which is also the world's smallest cetacean, is emblematic of the plight of other dolphins and porpoises around the world, say campaigners.

As government delegates, scientists, whale-hunters and environmentalists discuss the large ocean-traversing cetaceans at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting here, green group WWF's new report, The Forgotten Whales, concludes that some of the leviathans' smaller brethren are more at risk.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8117784.stm