The Mexican government says it will mark the reserve of the world's most endangered marine mammal with buoys, in a bid to save the last remaining 10 or so vaquita porpoises.

The Environment Department promised to provide social programs and jobs for fishing communities in the upper Gulf of California, the only place in the world the vaquita lives.

It said tourism, fish farms and better fishing practices would be encouraged in the area.

The government is faced with the challenge of ending illegal net fishing for totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy in China.

Environmentalists said Thursday the government program lacked sufficient details and stressed that more urgent measures are needed to save the vaquita from extinction.