CITES must protect highly vulnerable Manta ray populations

Mantas reproduce extremely slowly and cannot sustain even modest fishing levels. Female manta rays take 8-10 years to sexually mature and may give birth to only one pup every two to five years. 

Manta rays are worth vastly more alive than dead

February 2013. Delegates to the CITES conference in Bangkok have the opportunity to stem the trade in manta ray parts, specifically gill-rakers, and protect vulnerable manta populations. Charismatic manta rays can generate tens of millions of dollars annually through ecotourism if the destructive trade in their gill-rakers is stemmed say proponents.

Very low breeding rates
Manta gill-rakers (plates used to strain plankton) are made of cartilage and are used as a purported health tonic in China. Hunting is driven by the demand for gill-rakers, which can fetch up to $500 per kilo, whilst the meat is of very low value. Mantas reproduce extremely slowly and cannot sustain even modest fishing levels. Female manta rays take 8-10 years to sexually mature and may give birth to only one pup every two to five years.

80+% declines in some populations
Targeted manta populations have declined by an estimated 56% to 86% in recent years. The trade in manta gills amount to only about $5 million annually at retail and is concentrated in a single city in China, Guangzhou. Most of the financial benefit goes to the distribution channel rather than fishermen. In contrast, coastal communities can benefit greatly from global tourism for manta ray watching, which attracts an estimated at over US$140 million annually.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cites-manta.html