Manta Rays: Conservation Welfare for Gentle Ocean Giants

Manta rays are among the largest and most cognitively complex fish in the ocean, and their populations face significant threats from targeted fishing for gill plates used in traditional medicine and from bycatch in industrial fisheries.

Key Facts

Two species of manta ray exist — the oceanic manta and the reef manta — both listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
Mantas are the largest rays, with wingspans reaching up to 7 metres in the oceanic species
They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish and show evidence of self-recognition in mirror tests
Mantas have extremely low reproductive rates — females give birth to a single pup every 2-5 years
Demand for dried manta gill plates in Chinese traditional medicine markets drives targeted fishing
One manta gill plate set sells for up to USD 500 in Asian markets despite lack of any proven medicinal value
Manta rays demonstrate site fidelity to cleaning stations and feeding areas, making them predictable targets for fishers
All manta ray species are listed on CITES Appendix II, restricting international trade

Welfare Considerations

Targeted fishing for gill plates involves removing mantas from the water and cutting out their gill rakers while the animal may still be alive — a process causing severe pain and prolonged death. Bycatch in trawl nets results in drowning or crushing injuries. The cognitive complexity of manta rays, evidenced by mirror self-recognition and complex social behaviour, suggests a richer subjective experience of these welfare harms than might be attributed to simpler fish species. The low reproductive rate means that individual deaths have outsized population consequences, and population recovery from overfishing is extremely slow. Tourism-based alternatives to fishing provide significant economic value that can substitute for gill plate income in fishing communities.

What You Can Do

Never purchase products containing manta ray gill plates or any traditional medicine products containing manta derivatives
Support manta ray ecotourism which generates significant revenue that competes with fishing income
Advocate for national manta ray protection legislation in range countries that lack it
Donate to organisations monitoring manta ray populations and working on gill plate demand reduction
Support CITES Appendix I uplisting for manta rays to more stringently restrict international trade
Raise awareness that manta gill plates have no proven medicinal value and that demand is driving a preventable welfare and conservation crisis