Manta rays are large, filter-feeding rays increasingly protected globally but still threatened by fisheries and welfare harms in tourism interactions.
Manta rays caught in directed gill plate fisheries experience the traumatic death common to large elasmobranch bycatch. Their large size makes handling on fishing vessels difficult and injuries are common. Manta ray tourism, while economically positive for conservation, creates welfare concerns when poorly managed — snorkellers touching rays cause mucus layer removal that increases infection risk, and boat propeller strikes are a documented welfare hazard. Mantas entangled in ghost gear suffer prolonged suffering before death or rescue. Their apparent cognitive sophistication makes welfare considerations particularly important.