Operation Milagro IV
by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society 30 Jun 2018 15:34 UTC
Operation Milagro IV © Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Operation Milagro IV has come to an end, but Sea Shepherd will be back in the vaquita refuge soon. This has been one of the most effective Sea Shepherd campaigns to date.
We removed more fishing gear than all previous #OpMilagro campaigns combined. That's 385 deadly pieces of illegal fishing gear removed from the Upper Gulf of California and 854 animals saved.
The Sea of Cortez is one of the most biologically diverse bodies of water in the world, so it is critical to protect the wide variety of species that live there.
Sea Shepherd started the net removal initiative back in January of 2016, and since then we have maintained a presence in the Upper Gulf almost year-round. At this time of year, the totoaba migrates south away from the vaquita refuge, and so do the poachers.
The ghost net program will continue with the partner organizations and we will soon be back in the area to assist. Since we began having a presence in the Upper Gulf, Sea Shepherd has removed over 800 pieces of fishing gear, saving over 3,000 animals.
Your vital support of Sea Shepherd's Operation Milagro campaign has given the vaquita a chance to overcome extinction.