Manta rays are among the ocean's most charismatic and vulnerable species. Their welfare is threatened by targeted fishing, bycatch, and habitat degradation across tropical oceans.
Manta rays face acute welfare threats from targeted gill plate fishing and incidental bycatch in longlines and gill nets. Capture causes severe stress — mantas exhaust themselves struggling in nets and suffer internal injuries. As air-breathing fish that must swim continuously, even brief entanglement can cause drowning. Gill plate fishing targets aggregation sites where mantas gather to feed and reproduce, disrupting social and reproductive behavior. Marine protected areas encompassing manta aggregation sites are the most effective welfare intervention. Ecotourism as an alternative livelihood for fishing communities provides ongoing protection.