Currently in 2022, different species are being found, while others are actively being destroyed. If we keep going down this path of nonchalance, multiple animals will go extinct and with little recognition, almost like they never existed in the first place; this endless cycle of death and extinction continues and forever will continue if we don’t change our ways of waste and destruction.  

An example of one of these animals, on their way to extinction, is the Vaquita. It is unfortunately the most endangered animal in 2022 with only 10 of them left in the world, day by day, they are continually reducing. The prime reason why Vaquitas are endangered is because of illegal fishing, done by people, which leads them to get stuck in human fishing gear and they end up drowning. Vaquitas are found on the northern part of the gulf of California, Mexico.  

The Vaquita is about 5 feet long, meaning that it is one of the smallest members and most endangered cetacean (marine animal including whales, dolphins and porpoises) species while also being one of the most endangered species on the planet. Due to this, Vaquitas are estimated to be worth about £8500 per kilogram and overall, however fishing without a permit and farming of vaquitas is illegal, a vaquita weighs an average of 54 kilograms. That’s a whopping £459000! 

In 2017, Vaquita CPR (a vaquita conservation group) had an attempt at a rescue mission, however, they were unsuccessful. The Mexican government had tried to form a safe pen for Vaquitas to reproduce and continue the cycle of life, however, the plan wasn’t triumphant due to the unsustainable illegal fishing.