Oceanic and reef manta rays are threatened by targeted fishing for their gill rakers, used in Chinese traditional medicine. The trade drives population decline and causes individual welfare harm through painful capture and death at significant scale.
Manta rays caught for gill rakers are typically entangled in nets and die from exhaustion, gill compression, or trauma during extended struggles. The capture process can last hours and causes significant physiological stress. Individual rays showing site fidelity and recognition of dive guides demonstrate cognitive sophistication that raises the moral weight of each individual killed. Consumer demand elimination for gill raker products in traditional medicine markets — particularly given the absence of scientific evidence for their efficacy — is the most direct welfare intervention. Supporting manta watching tourism as an alternative economic driver in coastal communities provides sustainable livelihoods while protecting the animals.