Red Sea Life
Pelagic giant manta
image: Guy Stevens
MANTA MAy
upwelling of nutrient rich water that results in a localized summer Effective manta ray protection for both species must come in the form
plankton bloom in that area. of total global protection from fishing and preventative measures to
avoid by-catch such as reducing the usage of gill nets in open oceans.
Conservation: Sadly, manta rays face many threats, both natural (it’s Instilling the understanding that manta rays are far more valuable to
not uncommon to see mantas with great circular chunks bitten out local communities as assets to the dive tourism industry than as a food
of their wings by large sharks) and from man. Pollution and even the source will help to reduce the impact of fishing. In Egyptian waters
propellers of boats can impact manta ray populations. However, the manta rays are still relatively abundant with regular sighting by divers
greatest threat is directly from fishermen. Manta ray flesh is a highly and snorkellers year round. Summer is peak season, so if you are lucky
valued food source throughout the world. Their dried gill rakers enough to encounter this magnificent creature, spare a thought for
are particularly desirable in traditional Chinese medicine. Mantas where it may have come from and what it’s future may hold. And don’t
often succumb to gill nets intended to catch tuna and other open forget to record the sighting.
ocean species as wasteful bycatch. These factors have seen a rapid
decrease in manta populations world wide and have led to their CITES
(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) status of
Marine Biologist Owen Bruce, 28,
‘near threatened.’ But as yet total protection for these magnificent rays
learned to dive in the Red Sea in 1996
is still absent.
and has worked all over the world
since as a dive guide and marine life
Both manta ray species are under threat and the recent classification
expert. He trained as a cameraman
for both species has great implications for their conservation. The
with the Malaysian-based company
more localised populations of the smaller resident mantas are prone
Scubazoo and now works as Save Our
to regional extinction in some areas, mainly because of local fishing
Seas Foundation HD camera crew.
pressures. The giant manta ray faces dire human threats because of
the demand for their gills and flesh and their nomadic lifestyle.
For more information on the groundbreaking manta ray research
conducted worldwide by the Save Our Seas Foundation and
Knowing so little about their movements and behaviour make it
numerous other conservation, eduaction and production
very difficult for scientists to formulate protection policies for the
newly described pelagic manta ray. Effective conservation is made
more complicated by the fact that they cover great distances on their
migrations and in doing so cross many invisible legal boundaries.
Issue 1 June 2009 www.cdws.travel 19
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