Manta rays are increasingly understood as intelligent, long-lived fish facing threats from targeted fishing and bycatch. Their welfare status reflects growing scientific attention.
Manta rays caught for gill plates are typically drowned in fishing nets or killed by methods that may not achieve rapid death. Their intelligence and social complexity mean that manta ray welfare considerations extend beyond simple pain responses to potentially include fear and social suffering. The economic argument for conservation is aligned with welfare: live manta ray tourism revenue dramatically exceeds the value of gill plates, making conservation the rational choice for fishing communities with economic alternatives.