They are among the least productive of fishes and, thus, exceptionally vulnerable to overfishing. They are long-lived, reaching ages of 20-30 years, mature late, and give birth to generally a single pup every two years after a gestation period of one year. They also have one of the highest brain-to-body ratios of all living fishes. By fully protecting these fishes, the Government of Indonesia has demonstrated its commitment to these new CITES rules while offering real hope for these species’ future in Indonesia and beyond.Īmong the world’s largest fishes, manta rays have “wingspans” that can exceed seven meters. “But far more needs to be done, particularly at the country level, to reduce this fishing pressure. Stuart Campbell, Director of WCS’s Indonesian Marine Conservation and Fisheries Program. “The listing of oceanic and reef manta rays on CITES last year was a great first step towards mitigating the threat to these magnificent animals from overfishing,” said Dr. As of September 2014, all 178 CITES member countries will need to control trade and implement other CITES trade rules for these and several heavily traded shark species so as to ensure that international trade is not a threat to their survival. This new law represents a major advancement in efforts to conserve manta rays, which in 2013 were added to the list of species regulated under of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). On 28 January 2014, Indonesia’s Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister declared both the giant manta ray and reef manta ray as protected species under Indonesian law. NEW YORK (February 19, 2014)-The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds the Government of Indonesia for its recent decision to protect the world’s largest ray species, the giant and reef manta rays, from fishing and trade throughout the country. WCS commends Indonesian Government for adopting new law prohibiting fishing and trade of manta rays
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