The vaquita is the world's most endangered marine mammal with fewer than 10 individuals remaining, making every individual's welfare critically important.
Each vaquita death by gillnet entanglement involves drowning and distress over minutes. With so few individuals remaining, the welfare of each animal is inseparable from species survival. Captive rescue attempts were abandoned after stress-related mortality in caught animals, illustrating how extreme conservation measures can themselves cause welfare harm. In-situ protection from gillnets is the only viable welfare and conservation path.