Leonardo DiCaprio denounced the Mexican government for having deprotected the vaquita marina

Leonardo DiCaprio Not only did he gain recognition around the world for his performances in films such as “Titanic“O”DjangoHe also does so to be one of the main defenders of the vaquita marina in the world.

One of the main governments that has been criticized by the American actor has been the Mexican, because, until 2018, the preservation of this aquatic mammal had not been a concern for the country.

At the time, the president Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018) signed an agreement with DiCaprio to help save the lives of the 30 copies it always remained, but over time it was forgotten and caused the death of over 60% of them.

Today, three years later, in Mexico there are only 10 vaquitas marinas and therefore the interpreter of “The wolf of Wall Street“Sent a message of disappointment to the national authorities, who have done little to prevent the extinction of this species.

“Vaquita Marina is the most endangered marine mammal in the world. However, the Mexican government has lifted the ban on fishing in their habitat, effectively ensuring that the 10 remaining porpoises will die in the gillnets, ”he wrote on his Twitter account.

This message came just over 20 days after the Mexican government, led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, officially put an end to the policy of maintaining a fishing-free zone around the last surviving vaquitas.

The measure was announced last Wednesday July 14 and replaces the free fishing zone “zero tolerance” in the Upper Gulf of California with a variable scale of sanctions in the event of repeated registration observations of more than 60 vessels in the region.

Environmental experts have noted that, in essence, the measure leaves the world’s most endangered marine mammal exposed to gillnets in which he finds himself trapped and drowns. The nets are placed for the capture of totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy in China, and sells for thousands of dollars a kilo.

Alex Olivera, the representative of Mexico in Center for Biological Diversity, said the rules establish a sliding scale of responses to a situation that shouldn’t be allowed in the first place. For example, the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat said it will use 60% of its security staff if 20 or fewer fishing vessels are sighted in the restricted area.

“It’s silly. They are supposed to count ships in a so-called zero tolerance zone, where no ships are allowed (…) They leave dozens of ships open,” Olivera said.

According to a report by the environmental journalism collective Naguales, in collaboration with Connects, Mexican fishermen are forced by precarious work to work with the Dragon Cartel, bearing a significant share of the risks without obtaining sums of money as large as those received by the criminal organization.

The profits from trafficking this animal are comparable to those from the cocaine trade. They reported that a kilogram of totoaba “crop” can be worth $ 5,000 in Mexico and up to $ 60,000 once it arrives in China.

The report also explains that Mexican authorities, such as the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), were not agile enough when taking action to attack the dragon cartel. Even in front threats from the United States to sanction Mexico’s fishing trade if its government does not stop the illegal hunting of these marine animals.

Due to this scenario, where the Mexican authorities are also colluding, DiCaprio’s complaints are valid, as a legitimate concern to protect the vaquita porpoise on the coasts of the country is remote.

* With AP information.

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