Manta and mobula rays are targeted for their gill plates in the traditional medicine trade, causing welfare harm and population decline.
Manta and mobula ray capture causes significant welfare harm. They are often caught in gill nets and may drown slowly or be brought aboard boats while alive. Their intelligence and apparent social awareness make their distress plausible and their capture particularly concerning. The medicinal market driving their exploitation has no scientific basis — their gill rakers are nutritionally similar to other fish.