ORCID
- Joanna L. Harris: 0000-0001-8684-9096
Abstract
Significant progress has been made in advancing priority actions to conserve manta and devil rays, yet implementation and enforcement of protective measures often fall short, leaving most mobulid populations at risk of overfishing. Drawing on a literature review, fisheries databases, agency reports, and expert interviews, we assess global trends in mobulid catch and mortality. We examine both targeted and incidental catch, in small (<15 m, ‘SV’) and large (>15 m, ‘LV’) vessel fisheries to identify hotspots with the highest risk of fisheries-related mortality and population decline. We estimate global fisheries catch at 264,520 (184,407–344,987) mobulids per year, with SV fisheries accounting for 87 % of global mortality. The highest-risk hotspots, based on mortality and declines, are located in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Peru, and Myanmar. Mobulid retention is driven by demand, with higher mortality rates observed in countries exporting gill plates, and to a lesser extent, in those trading meat domestically or internationally. We recommend urgent implementation and enforcement of mobulid listings under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and national protective measures, including (i) uplisting mobulids to CITES Appendix I, (ii) full legislative protection for all mobulid species in high-risk fishing nations to reduce demand, (iii) avoiding fishing in critical habitats through permanent or temporary targeted area closures, or management, (iv) limiting drift gillnet effort, and (v) involving fishers in management decisions and implementation.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2025-11-07
Publication Title
Biological Conservation
Volume
313
ISSN
0006-3207
Acceptance Date
2025-10-26
Deposit Date
2025-11-07
Funding
The Waterloo Foundation, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Shark Conservation Fund, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, and the Save Our Seas Foundation funded the research and publication of this paper.
Additional Links
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0006320725006263
Keywords
At-vessel mortality, CITES, Catch, Elasmobranch, Landings, Mobulid ray
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Laglbauer, B., D'Costa, N., Stewart, J., Palacios, M., Cronin, M., Fernando, D., Lezama-Ochoa, N., Armstrong, A., Jabado, R., Fowler, S., Lawson, J., Koubrak, O., Murua, J., Ko Gyi, T., Karnad, D., Chopra, M., Notarbartolo-Di-Sciara, G., Rambahiniarison, J., Croll, D., Rojas, S., Fahmi, A., Harris, J., Binthe Haque, A., Murua, H., Pérez-Jiménez, J., Humble, E., Barrowclift, E., Salim, M., De Bruyne, G., & Seidu, I. (2025) 'Global manta and devil ray population declines: closing policy and management gaps to reduce fisheries mortality', Biological Conservation, 313. Available at: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111589
