The future of the vaquita hasn’t looked good in years; with the Mexican government’s new policy, it appears all but hopeless. AdvertisementThe Chinese have valued the swim bladder of fish for centuries as an ingredient in soup and as a purported fertility enhancer. But how did the bladder of a fish that swims only in the Gulf of California become a sought-after Asian commodity? In 2018, officials there broke up a totoaba smuggling syndicate, seizing nearly 1,000 pounds of dried swim bladder valued at $26 million. Right now, authorities know that any totoaba swim bladders they find were illegally obtained; it would be more complicated if there were sustainably raised bladders alongside contraband.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 27, 2021 09:56 UTC