Ray hunting 'could threaten the very existence of the species'
28th July 2012
The Manta Ray of Hope project has revealed that demand for manta and mobula ray gills has risen so dramatically in the past decade, the rays are being hunted down to extinction
Although the rays are gentle and non-aggressive, the dramatic rise in manta and mobula ray hunting 'could threaten the very existence of the species', warn conservationists, and could soon rival that of the shark fin trade.
A single fishing fleet can wipe out a local manta population within months. Rays have slow reproductive cycles, limited local populations, and are typically only able to bear one pup per pregnancy every two to five years. They also take around ten years to mature, making their breeding a long process with little result, and replenishment of their numbers incredibly difficult.
The endangered great white shark produces around 14 pups per litter; in contrast, a female ray only around 16 in her lifetime.
Before the cultural revolution, only a few practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used and promoted ray gills, and they were consumed by an elite few.
“Now importers and traders directly market the gills as a health tonic and a cure for many different ailments; from chicken pox to measles and even cancer,” commented Manta Ray of Hope Lead Investigator Paul Hilton. Manta Ray of Hope is a joint research project between Shark Savers and WildAid.
“In 99% of all TCM manuals, there is no reference to gill rakers and their health benefits.”
Apparently, consumption is largely contained to the Guandong province in southern China, where natural remedies are preferred over pharmaceutical products, and locals are seeking anything to strengthen their immune systems, with yearly flu outbreaks and the fear of SARS and bird flu in the area.
The gills are being sold for up to $500 a kilogram, and there are no international laws and only a few national laws to protect the rays. They are only protected in the Maldives, the Philippines, Mexico, Hawaii, Ecuador and the Yaeyama Islands, Japan, meaning that they are not protected in most of their range territory.
“We estimate that at least 3,400 manta rays are fished each year by what are believed to be the top five manta fishing countries – Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Peru and China,” said Project Lead Shawn Heinrichs. “Mantas are also being killed in other parts of the world, even in the Philippines and Mexico where they are legally protected.
“In areas where manta rays have been fished, populations have plummeted or even completely collapsed.”
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