Unraveling the Criminal Processes Behind the Illicit Totoaba Trade through Crime Script Analysis

By Earth League International; John Jay College of Criminal Justice; State University of New York - Farmingdale

In the early twentieth century, the Totoaba fishery was the most important fishery in the Gulf of California. At its peak, in 1942, over two thousand tons of fish maw were exported to China and the Chinese communities in California. Realizing the danger the fish faced, in 1975, the Mexican government banned the fishing of the species (Martínez & Martínez, 2018). Nonetheless, this critically endangered fish remains heavily overfished today, with organized criminal networks across the country playing a pivotal role in trafficking the species (Alvarado Martinez, 2014). The swim bladder is a highly prized commodity in China, as it is believed that the bladder can be used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including infertility, circulatory issues, kidney problems, and arthritis (Yagoub, 2016). Because of this, a single bladder can fetch for significantly high prices, and one gram of totoaba fish bladder can be more expensive than one gram of cocaine (Martínez & Alonso, 2021). Totoaba swim bladders are also referred to as “money maw” (Amepou et al, 2024), as individuals buy the bladder when prices drop in hopes that fish maw prices will rise once again and can be sold for profit. The poaching of totoaba for its swim bladder has had devastating consequences not only for the species itself and the marine life in the Sea of Cortez, but also for the vaquita porpoise, the world's most endangered marine mammal. The illegal fishing methods used to catch totoaba, particularly gillnets, also ensnare and kill vaquitas as bycatch. With only a few individuals remaining, the vaquita is on the brink of extinction. The survival of this species is directly linked to the elimination of totoaba poaching and trafficking.

Using the crime script analytical technique, and the meticulously-recorded first-hand investigative materials by Earth League International, this report analyzes the intricacies involved in trafficking totoaba swim bladder from Mexico to international destinations.

Los Angeles: Earth League International (ELI), 2024. 14p.