Manta Ray Welfare and Gill Net Entanglement

Manta rays face significant threats from gill net entanglement, targeted hunting for gill plates used in traditional medicine, and boat strikes in areas of high tourism.

Key Facts

Both species of manta ray are listed on CITES Appendix I
Gill plates are traded for traditional medicine despite limited evidence of efficacy
Entanglement in ghost fishing gear causes drowning as air-breathing-analogous filter feeders
Manta rays have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish
Ray tourism is worth over USD 100 million annually, creating conservation incentives

Welfare Considerations

Manta rays entangled in gill nets or ghost gear struggle until exhaustion before drowning when unable to maintain forward movement for ram ventilation. Targeted hunting using harpoons causes acute suffering before death. Boat propeller strikes on rays that surface near tourist vessels cause severe lacerations. Gill plate removal from live rays causes prolonged suffering. Rays in areas of high boat traffic experience repeated disturbance disrupting feeding and social behaviour. The intelligence suggested by their large brains implies greater capacity for suffering than less cognitively complex fish.

What You Can Do

Support CITES Appendix I enforcement for manta rays
Advocate for ghost gear removal programs in manta ray aggregation areas
Choose manta ray tourism operators with responsible encounter guidelines
Donate to Manta Trust monitoring and conservation programs
Raise awareness about the welfare and conservation costs of gill plate trade