Sea of Shadows

For us to be able to share our EDA Movie Screenings with all our members, we have kept our August screening (begins 19 Aug) an online one with the continued protocols of social distancing still an important requirement to keep everyone safe and comfortable. We have also taken our EDA members living in the other Emirates into consideration who are not able to make it to Dubai to watch the films via the big screen with our partners at VOX Cinemas – which also includes our members living internationally, who are not based in the UAE. Our online screenings will make them more accessible for all our members to take part and watch these important documentaries. Our Online Movie Screenings remain accessible only to EDA members and their families. You will still have to register with us in order to receive a special link to play the films via the online platform.

ABOUT THE FILM

A looming disaster in one of the most spectacular environments on Earth sparks a rescue mission unlike any other in SEA OF SHADOWS, a riveting new documentary with the intensity of a Hollywood thriller from National Geographic Documentary Films, produced by Terra Mater Factual Studios and winner of the Sundance audience award. When Mexican drug cartels and Chinese traffickers join forces to poach the rare totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez, their deadly methods threaten to destroy virtually all marine life in the region, including the most elusive and endangered whale species on Earth, the vaquita porpoise. SEA OF SHADOWS follows a team of dedicated scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists and courageous undercover agents as well as the Mexican Navy as they put their lives on the line to save the last remaining vaquitas and bring the vicious international crime syndicate to justice.

TAKE ACTION

SEA OF SHADOWS has brought together a powerful coalition of scientists, investigators, activists, politicians and nonprofits working together to save the vaquita and to help highlight the plight of endangered species across the globe.

The film aims to communicate the urgency of the crisis and harness public attention to inspire meaningful action. SEA OF SHADOWS shines a spotlight on the links between wildlife crime, global security and economic instability, mobilizing audiences to help advance policy and on-the-ground protections. The film has screened for the United Nations in New York City and for politicians on the floor of the Mexican Senate, is touring as part of the US State Department’s American Film Showcase and was presented at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, by the secretary general of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

With your help we will continue to fight for key conservation victories, including enforcement of the gill net ban in the Sea of Cortez by November 2019 and a return of the compensation programme for local fishermen during the transition to economic alternatives.

SIGN AND SHARE THE CHANGE.ORG PETITION: https://bit.ly/2Fdi48l

ABOUT THE VAQUITA (Phocoena sinus)

• The vaquita is a species of porpoise; it is the smallest of all cetaceans, a marine mammal group that includes whales and dolphins.

• The vaquita grows to a length of 5 feet and lives only in the northernmost waters of northwestern Mexico.

• The vaquita was not known to science until the 1950s and the first photograph of a living vaquita was not captured until the 1980s.

• Shy and solitary, vaquitas avoid boats and often are seen alone or in pairs.

• The vaquita feeds off schooling fish, squid, octopus and crustaceans.

• Vaquita means “little cow” in Spanish and they weigh about 120 pounds with a lifespan of 20-25 years.

WHY THE VAQUITA IS DISAPPEARING

The vaquita is being driven to extinction by an illegal fishing industry run by organised crime elements throughout Mexico and China that exists to illegally traffic wildlife products to black markets in China. Despite decades of international protections for their habitat, the elusive vaquitas are most likely to die by drowning when they get caught in illegal gill nets that are put out from early November to June each year to catch a similarly sized and also endangered species of fish call the totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi). The vaquitas get trapped in the nets, preventing them from surfacing for air.

The swim bladder of the totoaba is purported to have healing powers and is a valuable albeit illegal commodity in China, where it is worth more, ounce for ounce, than gold or cocaine. Due to its black market value, totoaba swim bladders are purchased and trafficked by Mexican drug cartels and Chinese organised crime groups, creating a demand that many fishers in rural communities around the Sea of Cortez are tempted to fill. In a place that Jacques Cousteau called “the aquarium of the world” for its stunning biodiversity, there are now thousands of miles of illegal gill nets killing the vaquita, totoaba, sea turtles, seals, stingrays, sharks and many other species in the Sea of Cortez. Efforts to rescue the vaquita and put it in human-made habitats until totoaba fishing is curbed have been fruitless as the small number of vaquita that have been brought to captivity have not adapted well. Rescue and release is no longer considered a viable option for conservation.

The fight to save the vaquita is complex, requiring action by scientists, communities and governments to address variables including corruption, enforcement and economics. Wildlife crime is the fastestgrowing source of revenue for organised crime and terrorist organisations worldwide, with an estimated value of $20 billion USD per year. Efforts to save the vaquita, and other endangered species, require participation of not only conservationists and scientists, but governments and international law enforcement agencies. SEA OF SHADOWS puts a local face on a global issue, highlighting how one endemic species in a small part of the world can fuel transnational crime and corruption. While this can feel overwhelming, it also means there are a number of ways in which we can positively impact the conservation of endangered species.

TIMELINE RECOGNISING THE VAQUITA’S ENDANGERED STATUS

1958

TheVaquita was first described by science.

1985

Listed as “Endangered” on the US Endangered Species Act in 1985, then designated as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List in 2008.

1990s

Bilateral efforts to protect the vaquita have been ongoing since the 90s, with participation of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Mexican government, Canadian government and numerous NGOs and conservancy groups.

2005

The Upper Gulf of California and the Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 and an official Vaquita Refuge was established, banning commercial fishing with gill nets in core vaquita habitat in 2005.

2008

The US, Mexico and Canada tasked the Commission for Environmental Cooperation with delivering a North American Conservation Action Plan for the vaquita, which called for mitigating threats from gill nets, developing alternative fishing gear and livelihoods, and increasing awareness about the vaquita. Despite the Mexican government investing over $40 million USD enforcing the fishing ban, provisions for alternative livelihoods in the region have been inconsistent and the vaquita population has continued to decline precipitously.

WEBSITE: www.films.nationalgeographic.com/ sea-of-shadows