An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck the Gulf of&nbsp;California&nbsp;on Sunday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

Mexico's civil defence office confirmed that there were no immediate reports of damage in the areas where the earthquake was felt, but recommended boats and the nearby coastal population take precautions due to possible currents in ports.

The quake struck at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), EMSC said.

Shortly after the quake occurred, the US&nbsp;Tsunami Warning System said there was no tsunami danger for the US&nbsp;West Coast, British Columbia, or Alaska.

Small variations in seawater levels, of a few centimetres, may be detected in the region where the quake occurred, the Mexican civil defence office later said via Twitter.

The US&nbsp;Geological Survey (USGS) pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.3.

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An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck the Gulf of California on Sunday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. Mexico's civil defence office confirmed that there were no immediate reports of damage in the areas where the earthquake was felt, but recommended boats and the nearby coastal population take precautions due to possible currents in ports.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck the Gulf of California on Sunday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. Mexico's civil defence office confirmed that there were no immediate reports of damage in the areas where the earthquake was felt, but recommended boats and the nearby coastal population take precautions due to possible currents in ports. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), EMSC said. Shortly after the quake occurred, the US Tsunami Warning System said there was no tsunami danger for the US West Coast, British Columbia, or Alaska. Small variations in seawater levels, of a few centimetres, may be detected in the region where the quake occurred, the Mexican civil defence office later said via Twitter. The US Geological Survey (USGS) pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.3. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes the Gulf of California

Mexico said it will ban the use of gill nets for shrimp fishing in an area of the northern Gulf of California that is the habitat for the endangered vaquita marina porpoise. 
 
The national fisheries commission said on Wednesday the permanent ban on gill nets used in shrimp fishing will go into effect in September. 
 
The population of vaquita marinas has dropped sharply in recent years to the point that only about 60 survive in the northern Gulf of California, the only place in the world they are found. 
 
The species is believed to be headed for extinction unless conservation measures are adopted. 
 
Scientists attribute the decline to their being caught in the various types of nets used to catch shrimp, sea bass and sharks. 
 
A spokeswoman for the environmentalist group Sea Shepherd said the shrimp net ban was a &quot;good start&quot; but not enough to save the rare porpoise. 
 
&quot;We would hope that they would permanently prohibit all types of gill nets,&quot; said Sea Shepherd&#39;s Oona Isabelle Layolle. 
 
Nets used to catch sea bass and shark are believed to also be used to illegally fish another endangered species, the totoaba, a type of drum that is much in demand in China. 
 
A temporary ban on the use of those nets has been in place since April 2015 and could be made permanent when it expires in April 2017, Rigoberto Garcia, a fisheries commission official, told AFP. 
 
The Mexican government has pledged to provide $70 million to help fishermen hit by the gill net ban to make the transition to other methods of fishing. 
 
(AFP)

The population of vaquita marinas has dropped sharply in recent years, only about 60 survive in the northern Gulf of California

Mexico said it will ban the use of gill nets for shrimp fishing in an area of the northern Gulf of California that is the habitat for the endangered vaquita marina porpoise. The national fisheries commission said on Wednesday the permanent ban on gill nets used in shrimp fishing will go into effect in September. The population of vaquita marinas has dropped sharply in recent years to the point that only about 60 survive in the northern Gulf of California, the only place in the world they are found. The species is believed to be headed for extinction unless conservation measures are adopted. Scientists attribute the decline to their being caught in the various types of nets used to catch shrimp, sea bass and sharks. A spokeswoman for the environmentalist group Sea Shepherd said the shrimp net ban was a "good start" but not enough to save the rare porpoise. "We would hope that they would permanently prohibit all types of gill nets," said Sea Shepherd's Oona Isabelle Layolle. Nets used to catch sea bass and shark are believed to also be used to illegally fish another endangered species, the totoaba, a type of drum that is much in demand in China. A temporary ban on the use of those nets has been in place since April 2015 and could be made permanent when it expires in April 2017, Rigoberto Garcia, a fisheries commission official, told AFP. The Mexican government has pledged to provide $70 million to help fishermen hit by the gill net ban to make the transition to other methods of fishing. (AFP)

Mexico bans gill nets to protect vaquita porpoise

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Magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes the Gulf of California

Mexico bans gill nets to protect vaquita porpoise