Manta ray welfare is threatened by gill raker harvesting for traditional medicine, bycatch in fishing gear and disturbance by poorly managed tourism that disrupts feeding behavior.
Manta ray welfare is threatened both by deliberate harvest for gill rakers and by incidental harm from poorly managed tourism and fishing gear. Gill raker harvest causes direct welfare harm — manta rays are killed or mutilated for a product with no proven medicinal value. Entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning and serious injury. Tourism disturbance that prevents mantas from feeding or accessing cleaning stations causes chronic welfare impacts through disrupted essential behavior. Responsible manta tourism that follows guidelines minimizing disturbance can generate conservation funding while protecting individual manta welfare. Demand reduction campaigns targeting gill raker use in traditional medicine address the primary deliberate welfare threat.