Advocates say a Mexican startup is illegally selling a health drink from an endangered fish

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Environmental watchdogs have leveled accusations against a Mexican startup, alleging that it is engaging in the unlawful sale of a health product derived from the endangered totoaba fish to various countries, including the United States and China.

Advocates, speaking to The Big Big News, have raised concerns about the possibility that the company, known as The Blue Formula, may be involved in the illicit trade of wild-caught fish.

The product in question, which The Blue Formula touts as “nature’s best-kept secret,” is a compact sachet of powder containing collagen extracted from the totoaba fish, intended for mixing into beverages.

According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which both Mexico and the U.S. are signatories, any commercial export of totoaba fish is deemed illegal unless it is bred in captivity under specific permits. Additionally, under U.S. trade laws, the commercial import of this protected species is prohibited.

The environmental organization Cetacean Action Treasury initially brought attention to The Blue Formula’s activities in November. Subsequently, a coalition of environmental charities, including The Center for Biological Diversity, National Resources Defense Council, and Animal Welfare Institute, submitted a formal complaint to CITES.

As of now, The Blue Formula has not provided an immediate response to a request for comment from the Associated Press (AP).

The company’s website asserts that it operates in a “100% sustainable” manner by sourcing its fish from Cygnus Ocean, a farm with permits for totoaba breeding. The company also claims to allocate a portion of its profits to release some of these farmed fish back into the wild.

However, environmental groups assert that Cygnus Ocean lacks the necessary permit for the commercial export of their farmed fish and has not responded to AP’s request for comment.

While breeding totoaba in captivity has a significantly lower ecological impact compared to wild fishing, advocates, including Alejandro Olivera, the Center for Biological Diversity’s Mexico representative, are concerned that the company and the farm could be used as a front for illegal activities.

Olivera expressed concerns about the lack of robust traceability enforcement for totoaba in Mexico, suggesting that it could be easily exploited for the laundering of wild-caught totoaba.

Wild gillnet fishing for totoaba is illegal and a major threat to the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, with recent surveys indicating that fewer than a dozen vaquitas may remain in the wild.

The demand for totoaba bladders in China, where they are considered a delicacy and fetch prices akin to gold, drives gillnetting. The Blue Formula’s supplement, priced at just under $100 for 200 grams, underscores the lucrative nature of this trade.

In October, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confiscated over $1 million worth of totoaba bladders in Arizona, concealed within a shipment of frozen fish. A similar quantity was seized in Hong Kong during the same month, en route from Mexico to Thailand.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Endangered Totoaba Fish

More about Endangered Totoaba Fish

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
• The Center for Biological Diversity
• National Resources Defense Council
• Animal Welfare Institute
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection