Leonardo DiCaprio gets Mexican President to Commit to Saving Rare Porpoise
Leonardo DiCaprio is going to save the planet, one endangered species at a time! The Academy Award-winning actor is a huge advocate for protecting the environment and has made statements on many issues impacting the world today including climate change, oil drilling in addition to making public pleas for the protection of endangered species.
Last week, DiCaprio set his sights on saving the most endangered marine mammal in the world, the vaquita. The vaquita is on the critically endangered species list and there is believed to be less than 30 of the species left in the world. According to the World Wildlife Fund website, vaquita are often caught and drowned in gillnets used by illegal fishing operations in marine protected areas within Mexico’s Gulf of California. Though discovered in g1958, the population has dropped drastically in the last few years.
DiCaprio made a plea via twitter, asking for his following to join him as well as the WWF to help protect the animal on the brink of extinction by signing a petition and sending a letter to the Mexican president asking for his help in doing so.
The vaquita is the most endangered marine mammal in the world. Join me + @World_Wildlife and take action. https://t.co/sB80PCeTG9 pic.twitter.com/UQMomVkvlC
— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) May 11, 2017
On Thursday, Enrique Peña Nieto responded to DiCaprio saying, “all its efforts to prevent the extinction of the species.” Peña Nieto’s reply represents one of the most high profile pledges to save the animal, which has seen population numbers plummet from about 60 to just 30 in the past year.
I welcome @LeoDiCaprio and @World_Wildlife ‘s concern regarding the Vaquita Marina.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 12, 2017
.@Mexico has focused all its efforts to prevent the extinction of this species.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 12, 2017
The vaquita often fall victim to illegal fishing operations by finding themselves caught in nets meant to catch another critically endangered species called the totoaba. The swim bladder is considered a delicacy in parts of Asia, where it’s known as “aquatic cocaine” that can sell for as much as $10,000 a kilogram.
The Mexican government has shown support to scientist efforts to save the species before which even led to halting fisheries and putting an emergency two-year ban on the use of gill nets in the area however, that ban has expired as of April. There was even a proposal to capture and breed several vaquita in an effort to repopulate their numbers however, no one has ever caught one alive.
Peña Nieto noted on Twitter that the government has more than “300 marines, 15 boats and unmanned aircraft systems” watching over the vaquita’s habitat, and protection zones have expanded to “three times larger than the original.”
Since Feb/2015, we have eliminated one of its main causes of death: the shrimp and scale fishery, establishing a two-year ban on the area.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 12, 2017
Our government has also extended the protection zone to a surface three times larger than the original.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 12, 2017
.@SEMAR_mx -Mexico’s Navy- has more than 300 marines, 15 boats and unmanned aircraft systems watching over this area.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 12, 2017
Mexico’s government is making a major effort, doing what should have been done decades ago to save the Vaquita Marina.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 12, 2017
Visit https://t.co/yhTPVC4sby to learn more about Mexico’s efforts to protect the Vaquita.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 12, 2017
Peña Nieto’s response to DiCaprio’s tweet is one of the most high profile pledges to save the animal ever! Great job, Leo! We applaud your efforts to help persevere our planet and, to us, you truly are the king of the world!
Source: Huffington Post
A karaoke obsessed, craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things pop culture, Denise enjoys all facets of entertainment from Broadway to box office blockbusters. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, concerts (lots and lots of concerts), volunteering, reading and playing with her rescue kitten, Samantha (who rescued who, right?).