The boat is not suitable for mantas or large marine mammals which ensured that the fishermen were encouraged to catch a high value species instead such as sardinella. The 14 ex-manta ray hunters were given a small fishing boat so that they could practice a new technique that is both sustainable and more profitable. Siharaditia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The financial support came in the form of small business loans to which they were also trained in management and finance in order to enable them with the skillset needed to generate enough income to pay back the loan in addition to supporting themselves financially and sustainably long term. Now this was no easy feat, but they made it work by having the former manta ray fisherman sign an agreement to stop hunting the manta rays and in return they received financial support and sustainable fishing training. This helped to create alternative income streams for the Lamakera community. Left with no way to trade for everyday items and food with other villages, a coalition of local Indonesian government agencies and non profit conservation organizations launched a sustainable fishing effort. While this very effectively put a stop to the decimation of this species, it created a very big economic problem for the community of Lamakera. This ban granted legal protection of the species across over 3.7 million square miles in Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Violations of this ban could result in up to six years of prison and a fine of $100,000. In 2014, Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries enacted a ban on the hunting, selling and trading of manta rays. This means that the members of all countries involved – including Indonesia – were called upon to implement the proper measures in order to regulate the trade of a species that was determined to be vulnerable to extinction. In 2013, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) voted to add mantas to Appendix II. As a result, the Manta Ray was added to the endangered species list. China continued to increase the demand regardless of the decline. The fisherman reported that they simply could not locate any in order to harvest them. They give birth to 1 to 2 pups every 5 years.Īt the rate that the manta rays were being harvested, a study that began in 2002 revealed that in 2014 there was a 75% decline in manta ray catches in the area. Their life expectancy is up to 50 years and female manta rays tank 8 to 10 years to reach maturity. ![]() There are a ton of pictures and videos of them playing with and interacting with humans in the ocean. Manta Rays are known to be curious and social animals. However, none of these medical issues have been proven to be cured nor has any medical value been attributed directly to the manta ray gill plates. The Chinese claimed that the manta ray gill plates were being used for medical issues such as increasing blood circulation, breast milk supplies, curing cancer and for curing the chickenpox. ![]() In 2013, the non-profit organization WildAid estimated that the international gill plate trade was worth $30 million per year with 99% of the trade occurring from the province of Guangzhou in China. As a result, the Lamakera fishery became a commercial hub for an international gill plate trade as a result. Tiket2, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commonsĭuring this time period a sudden, large demand for manta ray gill plates came from China.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |