{"product_id":"vaquita-brooke-bessesen-9781610919319","title":"Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"Intrepid conservation detective story.\" --\u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A lucid, informed, and gripping account...a must-read.\" --\u003ci\u003eScience\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Passionate...a heartfelt and alarming tale.\" --\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Gripping...a well-told and moving tale of environmentalism and conservation.\" --\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Compelling.\" --\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In 2006, vaquita, a diminutive porpoise making its home in the Upper Gulf of California, inherited the dubious title of world's most endangered marine mammal. Nicknamed \"panda of the sea\" for their small size and beguiling facial markings, vaquitas have been in decline for decades, dying by the hundreds in gillnets intended for commercially valuable fish, as well as for an endangered fish called totoaba. When international crime cartels discovered a lucrative trade in the swim bladders of totoaba, illegal gillnetting went rampant, and now the lives of the few remaining vaquitas hang in the balance. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Author Brooke Bessesen takes us on a journey to Mexico's Upper Gulf region to uncover the story. She interviewed townspeople, fishermen, scientists, and activists, teasing apart a complex story filled with villains and heroes, a story whose outcome is unclear. When diplomatic and political efforts to save the little porpoise failed, Bessesen followed a team of veterinary experts in a binational effort to capture the last remaining vaquitas and breed them in captivity--the best hope for their survival. In this fast-paced, soul-searing tale, she learned that there are no easy answers when extinction is profitable. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Whether the rescue attempt succeeds or fails, the world must ask itself hard questions. When vaquita and the totoaba are gone, the black market will turn to the next vulnerable species. What will we do then?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Brooke Bessesen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1610919319\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781610919319\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Island Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/11\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.27lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 5.90w x 1.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/11\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/15\/2018 pg. 7\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2018 pg. 115","brand":"Brooke Bessesen","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46431389581567,"sku":"9781610919319","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_af922ea1-b317-4adb-a4e0-35c13a6bcd34.jpg?v=1735141176","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/vaquita-brooke-bessesen-9781610919319","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}