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全球不到60隻 墨國加灣鼠海豚棲地永久禁刺網
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本報2016年7月26日綜合外電報導，姜唯編譯；蔡麗伶審校
墨西哥國家水族漁業委員會（Conapesca）20日宣佈，北科爾特斯海域刺網禁令9月起永久有效。刺網對加灣鼠海豚是莫大的威脅。據估計，加灣鼠海豚目前全世界只剩下60隻，因為常常和中國饕客最愛的石首魚混獲。
鼠海豚。圖片來源：WWF。
聯合國教科文組織（UNSECO）呼籲墨國政府，將為期兩年的科爾特斯海域刺網禁令改為永久有效，以保護瀕危的加灣鼠海豚，否則科爾特斯海域中的保護區和島嶼可能失去世界遺產地位。
聯合國教科文組織2005年將墨西哥科爾特斯海域列為世界遺產，原因包括其中棲息著加灣鼠海豚和加灣石首魚，有著「傑出的普世價值」。
為落實執法，Conapesca表示漁民必須從指定的港口出返航。世界野生物基金會（World Wildlife Fund）墨西哥分會會長維達爾（Oscar Vidal）認為這點相當重要。
維達爾對政府的決定表示非常欣慰，但希望政府能做得更多。「政府應該要詳細解釋相關措施將如何進行，這些措施如何遏止非法捕撈石首魚，以減少對鼠海豚的威脅。」
此外，維達爾認為這個禁令應該涵蓋整個北科爾特斯海域，而非只針對保護區。
去年起和墨國政府協議監測鼠海豚族群的海洋守護者協會（Sea Shepherd Society）雖然對禁令表示肯定，但認為其保護鼠海豚的效果並不好。因為夜間執法相當困難，海洋守守護者協會認為該海域應該全面禁止所有漁業活動。
Ban on use of gillnets made permanent
Government announces new measure to protect vaquita porpoise
International calls to end gillnet fishing in waters inhabited by the endangered vaquita marina porpoise have been heeded by the Mexican government.
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The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission, Conapesca, yesterday announced a permanent ban on using gillnets in the upper Sea of Cortés.
To take effect in September, the ban follows a call by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee to extend a two-year gillnet moratorium and make it permanent. It warned that Mexico was in danger of losing its heritage site status for the islands and protected areas in the Sea of Cortés.
When that status was granted in 2005 it was based in part on the presence of the vaquita and the totoaba, which were seen as having “outstanding universal value.”
The gillnets are a threat to the vaquita, whose numbers have declined to an estimated 60, because they are caught along with the totoaba, a species whose swim bladders is a delicacy in China.
Conapesca said fishermen will have to leave and return from specially designated docks to enable the enforcement of the ban. The head of the World Wildlife Fund in Mexico sees that as an important factor.
Oscar Vidal described the announcement as “very welcome” but would like to hear more. “It is important that they explain in detail how the announced enforcement measures will work, and how these measures will stop the illegal fishing of totoaba, which is the main reason this porpoise is on the brink of extinction.”
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Vidal also believes the ban should be extended to the entire upper Sea of Cortés and not just the designated protected area.
Another international environmental group also welcomed the ban but predicted the measure was insufficient to save the vaquita. The Sea Shepherd Society, which last year entered into an agreement with the government to monitor the porpoise, suggested that all fishing should be banned in the area due to the difficulty of combating illegal fishing at night.
Source: Zócalo (sp), Associated Press (en)
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