As Mexico marks conservation day, advocates say it takes too long to list vulnerable species

By DANIEL SHAILER
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico is celebrating national conservation day. Meanwhile, conservationists say the country’s list of endangered species is too short and too slow to update. The queen conch, for example, has declined so dramatically that the department of agriculture imposes regular fishing bans. Still, it is not listed by the environmental agency as threatened. Despite a legal requirement to update the country’s list of endangered species at least every three years, it has not been updated since August 2019. Advocates say that from the vaquita porpoise to elkhorn coral, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world is failing to protect its wildlife.