Giant manta rays have been listed as "Endangered" on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since December 2020. Giant manta rays are thus the first manta ray species to be classified as endangered.
When Dr Andrea Marshall, one of the world's leading manta researchers, founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF), and member of the scientific advisory board of ElasmOcean, began auditing the populations in 2003, there was insufficient data even to perform a reliable risk assessment – yet since they have been gathering this data for the IUCN, the researchers have had to watch giant manta rays sink deeper into the red danger zone with each new report. Since 2011, the animals have been listed in CMS (Convention on Migratory Species), and since 2013 also in CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), two frequently praised global trade agreements. Nevertheless, numbers continue to decline; once again an example that current political protection, however impressive it may look on paper, is simply insufficient.
Despite the agreements and the immense knowledge generated over recent decades by the scientists associated with the "Queen of Mantas", Dr Andrea Marshall, fishing pressure on these peaceful giants has not decreased, but actually increased. In the Indonesian region in particular, the large gill plates of the mantas are highly sought after – a rarity for which their fragile global populations are being decimated. Yet they are worth far more alive: divers and snorkellers inject millions of dollars into the global tourism sector each year. "At this critical juncture, recognising their economic value can help drive the protection of this enigmatic and now endangered species," explains Dr Stephanie Venables of MMF.
Source:
Marine Megafauna Foundation: https://marinemegafauna.org/news-and-media/giant-manta-becomes-the-first-manta-ray-to-be-listed-as-an-endangered-species
