Part 3: The Embargo
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Hear about efforts to cut down on gillnets in the Upper Gulf and save the vaquita.
On today’s episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi continues her exploration of the Upper Gulf of California to learn more about what can be done to stop illegal gillnet fishing. We hear from Zak Smith, a senior attorney and the director of global biodiversity conservation at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He led an effort to force a U.S. embargo on seafood from the area.
Guidi then reports on the efforts made by the NRDC and others to compel Mexico to follow its own laws to protect the vaquita. She and her travel companions venture out on a boat to see firsthand whether or not tighter restrictions have impacted local fishers and the market for the highly desirable blue shrimp.
About The Catch: Coming up on this season of The Catch, we head to the Upper Gulf of California, to see what a porpoise, a fish whose bladder fetches tens of thousands of dollars on the black market, and the highly desirable—and delicious—colossal shrimp tell us about the complicated world of fishing. This spring, Foreign Policy is partnering with the Walton Family Foundation for season two of The Catch, hosted by Ruxandra Guidi. We'll hear how local fishermen are caught between providing for their families and protecting marine habitats. And how governments, importers, and consumers all have a role in returning balance to the Upper Gulf of California. Follow and listen to The Catch in Spanish and English wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to The Catch in Spanish here. See All Episodes
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More The Catch episodes:
Part 6: The Future
How fishers are working toward more sustainable practices.
Part 5: Pressure Points
Learn what importers and consumers can do to improve sustainability.
Part 4: The Cartel of the Sea
And how the weak response from the Mexican government is impacting local fishers.