(MEXICO CITY) — Mexico's president, its richest man and actor Leonardo DiCaprio have signed an agreement that aims to protect marine ecosystems in the upper Gulf of California where the vaquita porpoise is critically endangered.

The agreement is a collaboration between President Enrique Pena Nieto, multi-billionaire Carlos Slim and DiCaprio and will be backed by the respective foundations of Slim and DiCaprio.

The vaquita is native to the upper Gulf, but only an estimated 30 of the porpoises are left in the wild today.

The agreement sets objectives to prevent illegal fishing and gillnet use, which threaten the vaquita. It was signed at a meeting of the three men Wednesday. </s> Handout image released by the Mexican Presidency's press office showing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (L) and US actor Leonardo Di Caprio (R) shaking hands in front of Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim during a meeting about the danger of extinction of the vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus) in Mexico City on June 7, 2017. Pic/AFP

The Mexican government, tycoon Carlos Slim and U.S. actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Wednesday unveiled a joint plan to protect a tiny porpoise in the Gulf of California that has become a potent symbol of critically endangered animal species.

Populations of the snub-nosed vaquita porpoise have plummeted due to gillnet fishing for shrimp and totoaba, a popular delicacy in Asia, sparking increasing calls for action.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto met Hollywood star DiCaprio and Slim in his official residence in Mexico City to sign a memorandum of understanding committing to conserve marine life in the Gulf of California, including the vaquita.

There are now fewer than 30 of the vaquita left in the wild, the foundations run by Slim and DiCaprio said in a statement.

The accord comes less than a month after DiCaprio urged his fans on social media to petition Pena Nieto to save the vaquita, which prompted the president to take to Twitter to assure the actor that Mexico was doing all it could to protect the porpoise.

Under the memorandum, the signatories undertook to make permanent a temporary ban on using gillnets in the vaquita's waters and to step up efforts to combat the use of illegal gillnets, as well as the prosecution of illegal fishing and totoaba poaching.

Gillnet fishing, which uses mesh sizes designed to allow fish to get only their head through the netting but not their body, is blamed for trapping the vaquita porpoises and killing them.

The plan also included a commitment to prohibiting nighttime fishing in the upper Gulf of California and the vaquita reserve, and to enforce limited entry and exit points in the region for fishing, among other measures.

In the last month, 200,000 people have signed the petition to save the vaquita directed by DiCaprio at Pena Nieto, the World Wildlife Fund said.

In the statement, DiCaprio, the 42-year-old star of "Titanic," called the memorandum a "critical step" on behalf of the marine mammal.

"I am honored to work with President Pena Nieto, who has been a leader in ecosystem conservation, to ensure the future viability of marine life in the Gulf," DiCaprio said.

Pena Nieto on Wednesday evening tweeted pictures of his meeting with DiCaprio and Slim, saying that Mexico understood its environmental responsibility to the world.

A spokesman for the project could not immediately say how much money was being dedicated to the rescue effort. </s> Leonardo DiCaprio and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto have vowed to try to save the vaquita marina porpoise, which could be extinct as soon as next year.

The pair had clashed briefly last month when DiCaprio promoted the cause online, leading to defensive tweets from Pena Nieto.

But two were all smiles on Wednesday as they shook hands and signed a deal in which Mexico promised to protect the marine ecosystems of the Gulf of California and in particular the vaquita, which is found only there.

Leonaro DiCaprio and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto (both pictured shaking hands) vowed on Wednesday to protect the critically endangered vaquita porpoise

The vaquita is the world's smallest porpoise, and lives only in the Gulf of California. It is endangered due to illegal fishing of the totaba fish, which is used in Chinese medicine

In May, DiCaprio asked his millions of Twitter and Instagram followers to call on Pena Nieto to do more to protect the world's smallest porpoise, of which less than 30 remain.

The Mexican president responded with what was, for him, an unprecedented flurry of seven tweets in English defending his government's efforts to save the creature.

'Mexico's government is making a major effort, doing what should have been done decades ago to save the Vaquita Marina,' he said in one of the tweets.

Now the government is doing more, in a plan is backed by DiCaprio's foundation and that of Mexican telecoms billionaire Carlos Slim.

Slim - the world's sixth-richest person, according to Forbes magazine - also signed the deal.

'Now more than ever, the world is looking for bold leadership at every level to tackle climate change and environmental conservation issues,' DiCaprio said in a statement.

'This action is a critical step towards ensuring that the Gulf of California continues to be both vibrant and productive, especially for species like the critically endangered vaquita.'

There are only 30 of the porpoises - the smallest in the world - left. Pictured is a vaquita porpoise's fin

As well as banning gillnets, which the porpoises get caught up in, Mexico will develop new fishing gear and techniques for local communities

The Gulf of California, which was officially listed as a World Heritage site in 2005, is a source for half of Mexico's fisheries production.

Pena Nieto said Mexico 'understands its responsibility as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world' and would make a 'historic effort' to protect the vaquita.

Under the deal, Mexico will impose a permanent ban on gillnets in the vaquita's habitat.

The nets - used to catch another endangered species, the totoaba fish - have contributed to wiping out the vaquita.

Mexico also pledged to develop new fishing gear and techniques for local communities.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which has warned the vaquita risks going extinct in 2018, praised the 'landmark agreement.'

The threat is fueled by demand for totoaba swim bladders in China, where they are considered a delicacy and can fetch $20,000 per kilogram.

WWF called on Mexico to go further by launching coordinated efforts with China and the United States to end the illegal totoaba trade. </s> Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú joined forces Wednesday to try to save the Vaquita, a critically endangered porpoise native to Mexico's Gulf of California, Mexico's Office of the Presidency and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation said in separate statements.

At a ceremony on Wednesday at Los Pinos, the official residence of Mexico's President, Peña Nieto, DiCaprio and Slim signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to make commitments to prevent the Vaquita from extinction—scientists believe there are less than 30 left. The Memorandum calls for stemming illegal fishing to protect marine life and making permanent what is now a temporary ban on the use of gillnets (a fishing net that is hung vertically so that fish get trapped in it by their gills) throughout the habitat of the Vaquita in the upper Gulf of California waters.

The agreement was backed by both the Carlos Slim Foundation, which promotes a broad range of philanthropic issues including the preservation of the environment, and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, founded in 1998 to protect the world’s last wild places. The organizations made a joint commitment to helping fund local development and non-gillnet fishing options to try to offset the economic impact of the bans. Neither of the foundations disclosed how much money they will spend on the efforts.

Mexico's richest person and DiCaprio, who won the Academy Award for best actor in 2016, arrived side by side at the Presidential mansion, Slim's spokesperson and son-in-law Arturo Elías Ayub told me. "It was a mutual initiative. Both [Slim and DiCaprio] have been trying to save the Vaquita for a very long time," Elías said when asked if Slim took the initiative of inviting the famous actor and environmental activist to Mexico.

According to the statements, Slim said that his and DiCaprio's foundations, along with several non governmental organizations, will join with the government "for what could be the last opportunity to rescue and preserve the Vaquita marine mammal." Slim lamented that despite the efforts and investments implemented to save the Vaquita, "their population has dramatically declined, sadly, as victims [have been] trapped by illegal fishing gillnets.”

DiCaprio said that "now more than ever," the world is looking for bold leadership at every level to tackle climate change and environmental conservation issues. “This action is a critical step towards ensuring that the Gulf of California continues to be both vibrant and productive, especially for species like the critically endangered Vaquita.”

In recent months, as it became clear that illegal gillnets have driven the Vaquita to the brink of extinction, environmental groups and scientists have taken to social media to demand a bolder intervention by the Mexican government. Peña Nieto said Mexico understands its responsibility as one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity, and that is why it has taken a "historic effort" to prevent the extinction of a the Vaquita.

The Memorandum includes a commitment to accelerate the development of gillnet replacement gear that does not endanger the Vaquita and several large fish species, continue to evaluate the feasibility of providing sanctuary to the remaining Vaquitas, and establish an international expert advisory committee to provide input on the content of the Memorandum and to develop an action plan over the next several months. </s> Leonardo DiCaprio and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto have vowed to try to save the vaquita marina porpoise, which could be extinct as soon as next year.

The pair had clashed briefly last month when DiCaprio promoted the cause online, leading to defensive tweets from Pena Nieto.

But two were all smiles on Wednesday as they shook hands and signed a deal in which Mexico promised to protect the marine ecosystems of the Gulf of California and in particular the vaquita, which is found only there.

In May, DiCaprio asked his millions of Twitter and Instagram followers to call on Pena Nieto to do more to protect the world's smallest porpoise, of which less than 30 remain.

The Mexican president responded with what was, for him, an unprecedented flurry of seven tweets in English defending his government's efforts to save the creature.

'Mexico's government is making a major effort, doing what should have been done decades ago to save the Vaquita Marina,' he said in one of the tweets.

Now the government is doing more, in a plan is backed by DiCaprio's foundation and that of Mexican telecoms billionaire Carlos Slim.

Slim - the world's sixth-richest person, according to Forbes magazine - also signed the deal.

'Now more than ever, the world is looking for bold leadership at every level to tackle climate change and environmental conservation issues,' DiCaprio said in a statement.

'This action is a critical step towards ensuring that the Gulf of California continues to be both vibrant and productive, especially for species like the critically endangered vaquita.'

The Gulf of California, which was officially listed as a World Heritage site in 2005, is a source for half of Mexico's fisheries production.

Pena Nieto said Mexico 'understands its responsibility as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world' and would make a 'historic effort' to protect the vaquita.

Under the deal, Mexico will impose a permanent ban on gillnets in the vaquita's habitat.

The nets - used to catch another endangered species, the totoaba fish - have contributed to wiping out the vaquita.

Mexico also pledged to develop new fishing gear and techniques for local communities.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which has warned the vaquita risks going extinct in 2018, praised the 'landmark agreement.'

The threat is fueled by demand for totoaba swim bladders in China, where they are considered a delicacy and can fetch $20,000 per kilogram.

WWF called on Mexico to go further by launching coordinated efforts with China and the United States to end the illegal totoaba trade. </s> During a meeting on Thursday (June 8), Leonardo DiCaprio, Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto, billionaire Carlos Slim, and senior government officials at the Official Residence of Los Pinos created a Memorandum of Understanding to make major commitments to protect valuable marine ecosystems in the Gulf of California.

The Gulf has been under increased pressure from overfishing. The native Vaquita is on the brink of extinction as a result and there are also fewer than 30 of the native porpoises left in the wild.

“Now more than ever, the world is looking for bold leadership at every level to tackle climate change and environmental conservation issues,” Leonardo said. “I am honored to work with President Peña Nieto, who has been a leader in ecosystem conservation, to ensure the future viability of marine life in the Gulf. This action is a critical step towards ensuring that the Gulf of California continues to be both vibrant and productive, especially for species like the critically-endangered Vaquita. My Foundation and I look forward to continuing to work with President Peña Nieto, our NGO partners, and the local communities in the Gulf to reach greater progress on these important issues.”

“Mexico understands its responsibility as one of the countries with greatest biodiversity,” President Peña Nieto added. “That is why we have implemented an historic effort to avoid the extinction of a unique species in the world and also to protect important ecosystems such as the Revillagigedo World Heritage Site. Mexico also understands its vulnerability to the effects of climate change, and that is why we committed to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement and to work with other countries to do the same. We are very pleased to have the support of the DiCaprio Foundation and the Slim Foundation since the sum of effort and teamwork always brings better results.”

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the Carlos Slim Foundation have pledged to support the ongoing operation of the enforcement, research and implementation of the objectives, which you can read below.

Click inside to find out the details of the memorandum…

- Making the temporary ban on the use of gillnets throughout the range of the Vaquita in the upper Gulf of California waters permanent

- Improving enforcement efforts to combat the use of illegal gillnets and increasing prosecution of illegal fishing and totoaba poaching,

-Prohibiting nighttime fishing in the upper Gulf of California and the Vaquita Reserve, and

- Implementing and enforcing limited entry and exit points throughout the region for all fishing through certified inspectors. </s> The Mexican government has announced new efforts to save the critically endangered vaquita from extinction, following a widespread advocacy campaign by groups including the World Wildlife Fund and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and billionaire Carlos Slim met Wednesday to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that will spark new efforts to save the animal, which researchers worry could become extinct by next year. Last month DiCaprio launched a Twitter campaign aimed at Mexican officials to encourage them to take action, an effort that led Peña Nieto to declare the country was focusing “all its efforts to prevent the extinction of the species.”

“Now more than ever, the world is looking for bold leadership at every level to tackle climate change and environmental conservation issues,” DiCaprio said in a statement after Wednesday’s meeting. “This action is a critical step towards ensuring that the Gulf of California continues to be both vibrant and productive, especially for species like the critically-endangered vaquita.”

The memorandum includes a permanent ban on fishing nets that often unintentionally trap the animals and an increase in enforcement for such an effort.

“Mexico understands its responsibility as one of the countries with greatest biodiversity,” Peña Nieto said in a statement. “That is why we have implemented an historic effort to avoid the extinction of a unique species in the world.”

The news was praised by groups including the WWF, which, alongside DiCaprio, began a signature campaign last month to urge increased protections for the vaquita. More than 200,000 people joined the call.

“Today’s agreement marks a key step forward in the fight to save the critically endangered vaquita and ensure a sustainable future for the people and wildlife of Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California,” the group said in a statement.

Populations of vaquitas, small, elusive porpoises nicknamed “pandas of the sea,” have plummeted in recent years following a spate of illegal fishing operations in their habitat, Mexico’s Gulf of California. It’s estimated there are fewer than 30 vaquitas left in the wild.

The animals are often caught in large gillnets used to catch a critically endangered species of fish called the totoaba, whose swim bladders are prized on the black market in parts of Asia. Called “aquatic cocaine,” the bladders can sell for $10,000 a kilogram.

In recent months, scientists, conservationists and the Mexican government have waged a desperate battle to save the vaquita, including an increase in patrols and the outsourcing of some policing efforts to the activist group Sea Shepherd. Some researchers are preparing efforts to trap the few vaquitas that remain and breed them in captivity; however, such efforts have never been undertaken before, and some fear it could kill more vaquitas in the process.

While such plans have remained controversial, the WWF said any efforts to sequester the animals must include attempts to return them to the wild once populations recover, like initiatives to protect the California condor.

“WWF believes that any effort to capture and provide sanctuary for the remaining vaquita and breed them in captivity must be explicitly linked to a plan to return vaquita to the wild once their habitat is secure,” the group said. </s> For two decades, the vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise, has been on the verge of disappearing from Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, its only habitat.

The Mexican government has attempted to protect the animal, but its policies have utterly failed due to incompetence: the vaquita’s numbers have continued to dwindle in recent years, and are now down to 30. Authorities have so far been unable—or unwilling—to enforce rules barring practices that endanger the vaquita, and mismanaged programs designed to prevent those practices.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is now trying to come to the vaquita’s rescue. Last month he started publicly pressing the Mexican government to do more to save the round-faced porpoise, whose name means “little cow” in Spanish. Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto immediately responded to him via Twitter, and on June 7 signed an agreement with DiCaprio’s foundation and that of Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim to launch a major last-ditch effort to save the vaquita.

It’s a notable example of the kind of pressure star and corporate power can exert on politicians, particularly on an unpopular president (link in Spanish) desperate for good news.

Environmental dealmakers.

Under the deal, the Mexican government agreed to permanently ban gillnets, which entangle and drown the cute cetaceans. The nets are used by illegal fishermen—there have been temporary blanket bans in the past, as well as rules banning fishing in certain areas—to catch another endangered Sea of Cortez-dweller, the totoaba. The totoaba is a large fish whose swim bladder is a hot commodity in China, where it is believed to have medicinal properties. The deal also forbids fishing at night, when, historically, it’s been harder for law enforcement to tell who is fishing legally and who is fishing illegally. Meanwhile, DiCaprio’s and Slim’s foundations will help to create alternative ways to make a living.

But the commitments, and new laws, while laudable, might be too little, too late.

That’s because while the vaquita never leaves the Sea of Cortez, the threats to its existence extend far beyond the 62,000-sq-mile body of water separating the Baja California peninsula from mainland Mexico. Saving the tiny porpoise will require addressing deep-rooted problems in Mexico and beyond, including “organized crime and internal migration, Mexico’s troubled law enforcement sector, international smuggling networks and rising demand for animal parts for use in traditional Chinese medicine,” according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Brookings Institution fellow who is part of a working group to preserve the porpoise. Those issues add up, and are why numerous efforts to curb illegal fishing in Mexico in the past have all withered on the vine. </s> Nov 9 Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Wednesday that he spoke to U.S. President-Elect Trump to congratulate him on his election win and the two agreed to meet before he takes office.

Pena Nieto also said he had discussed a new work agenda with Trump that would include security issues, and that he would seek to protect the rights of Mexicans throughout the world.

Pena Nieto was lambasted in the local press for hosting a pre-election meeting with Trump, who has made disparaging remarks about Mexicans. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Simon Gardner)
American actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto meet to discuss the protection of the Vaquita porpoise.