Social Movements

Operation Milagro (meaning “Miracle” in Spanish) is an ongoing campaign to save the critically endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. SSCS is currently in its fourth year of operation in their native habitat in the Gulf of California, hence the use of “Milagro IV” to refer to its 2018 operations.

There are only around 30 remaining vaquita individuals due to illegal poaching of the also-endangered totoaba bass. Fisherman lay down illegal gillnets hoping to catch the fish and sell its swim bladder on the Asian black market for tens of thousands of dollars thanks to unproven claims of medicinal properties. Instead, vaquitas become entangled in these nets and drown.