Biden gives Mexico a year to better protect endangered marine animals

President Joe Biden sent a letter to Congress outlining steps to urge Mexico step up protection of the endangered vaquita porpoise and totoaba fish.

MEXICO CITY — U.S. President Joe Biden is urging Mexico to step up conservation efforts for the endangered vaquita porpoise and the totoaba fish, threatening possible trade sanctions if there no results are evident within a year.

In a letter to the U.S. Congress sent Monday, Biden said that for now he's not directing the Treasury Department to impose trade measures on Mexican products because the Mexican government is implementing protective measures.

But he stated that various U.S. agencies "will monitor Mexico’s enforcement actions and progress and provide me with a report not later than 1 year from the date of this notification on whether these actions have reduced the illegal harvest and trafficking of totoaba and enhanced the conservation of vaquita."

A vessel deployed to help on the efforts to save the endangered vaquita porpoise sails during a presentation to the media near San Felipe, Mexico, on Jan. 24.Guillermo Arias / AFP via Getty Images fileThe report will then be used to assess whether additional measures will be necessary, including trade restrictions. In 2021, the value of all seafood shipped from Mexico to the U.S. approached $600 million.

In February, U.S. authorities warned that the Latin American country was violating the environmental chapter of the trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada (T-MEC).