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Manta rays listed on 2005 Red List |
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By Tim Clark July 8, 2004 - Manta rays will be listed on the 2005 IUCN Red List, along with four species of Mobula rays. I just returned from the IUCN Shark Specialist Group workshop in Florida, where over 40 scientists met to discuss the listing of various sharks and rays. The Red List is a list of species that scientists consider vulnerable or threatened with extinction, and is used by government and non-government organizations (NGO's) when making management decisions about listed species. This listing will increase awareness of the threat posed to manta ray populations by both the taking of manta rays in target fisheries and as by-catch in net fisheries worldwide. Thousands of manta rays have been slaughtered by fishermen in Indonesia, Mexico, and the Philippines for food and to supply a market for dried brachial elements in Asia. All three countries have had a market for manta meat for decades, however the market has changed in recent years due to a demand in Asia for dried manta brachial elements. The brachial elements are cut from the manta ray, dried, and ground to a powder to be used in traditional medicines. The demand for dried brachial elements has changed the Indonesian fishery from a subsistence fishery catching 200-300 mantas per year to a commercial fishery catching between 1,000 and 2,400 mantas per year. The increase in the fishery poses a serious threat to manta ray populations, and may have already caused stocks to be depleted in Indonesia. The IUCN Shark Specialist Group workshop resulted in over 100 assessments being written for various species of sharks, rays, and chimeras. I went specifically to write assessments for Manta birostris, and also the related rays Mobula munkiana, Mobula japanica, Mobula tarapacana, and Mobula thurstoni, all of which are being hunted in target fisheries. I am hoping to increase awareness of governments and NGO's to the vulnerability of manta rays to fishing pressure. The long life span, late maturity, and low reproductive rate of manta rays make them a poor target fishery because they can not quickly replace adults in the population that have been removed. Mantas live 50-100 years, reach maturity at 8-10 years of age, and have only one pup every one to three years. If a population were fished to low numbers, it would take decades to re-establish itself. Even worse, the population may never be re-established if it were fished out completely. Research in Hawaii by Keller Larros and myself suggests that the islands of Maui and Hawaii have separate populations that never intermix, meaning new mantas would not be likely to migrate to areas where populations were fished to extinction. Local island populations in Indonesia may already be close to extinction, with little chance of coming back. Manta Pacific Research Foundation will be continuing our efforts to raise awareness of the plight of the manta rays. Listing manta rays with the IUCN Red List was our first step in gaining global protection for manta rays. While the Red List is merely a suggestion and does not have any legal status, CITES is a treaty among member nations that forbids international trade in listed species. MPRF will be working in the future to have manta rays listed on CITES, hopefully stopping the Asian manta trade. In 2005, we will also be proposing legislation to the State of Hawaii to make it illegal to kill, capture, or intentionally injure manta rays in Hawaiian waters. There are currently no laws in Hawaii forbidding the capture of manta rays, making them vulnerable to anyone who wants to hunt mantas in Hawaiian waters. We would like your help in providing protection for mantas by signing our petition in support of a no-kill policy in Hawaii. You can sign the petition on-line at http://www.mantapacific.org/mantapacific/communication/mantapetition.html. Even better, print off a copy of the petition at the bottom of the page and have your co-workers and friends sign it as well. With your help, we will stop the slaughter of these graceful creatures. Mahalo for your support, Tim |
