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Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Global manta and devil ray population declines: Closing policy and management gaps to reduce fisheries mortality
Biological Conservation, Vol.313, pp.1-21
2026
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.
Details
- Title
- Global manta and devil ray population declines: Closing policy and management gaps to reduce fisheries mortality
- Authors
- Betty J.L. Laglbauer (Corresponding Author) - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Nidhi G. D'Costa - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Joshua D. Stewart - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Marta D. Palacios - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Melissa Cronin - Duke UniversityDaniel Fernando - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Nerea Lezama-Ochoa - AZTIAsia O. Armstrong - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringRima W. Jabado - Elasmo ProjectSarah Fowler - Save Our Seas FoundationJulia M. Lawson - University of California, Santa BarbaraOlga Koubrak - SeaLife Law (Canada)Jefferson Murua - AZTIThanda Ko Gyi - Myanmar Ocean Project (Myanmar)Divya Karnad - Ashoka UniversityMayuri Chopra - University of OxfordGiuseppe Notarbartolo-di-Sciara - Tethys Research InstituteJoshua Rambahiniarison - Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian OceanDon Croll - University of California, Santa CruzStefany Rojas - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Fahmi - National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jakarta, IndonesiaJoanna L. Harris - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Alifa Binthe Haque - University of DhakaHilario Murua - International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (United States)Juan Carlos Pérez-Jiménez - El Colegio de la Frontera SurEmily Humble - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Ellen Barrowclift - Newcastle UniversityMuhammad G. Salim - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Godefroy De Bruyne - Wildlife Conservation Society (Gabon)Issah Seidu - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyLuis A. Zambrano-Vizquel - Universidad de OrienteKatrina Davies - University of OxfordMuhammad Moazzam Khan - World Wildlife Fund (Pakistan)Nayara Bucair - Universidade de São PauloJeannie Johnson - University of California, Santa CruzGhofrane Labyedh - African Marine Conservation Organisation (Cameroon)Aristide Takoukam Kamla - African Marine Conservation Organisation (Cameroon)Karen Fuentes - Manta México Caribe AC (Mexico)Rebecca Carter - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Nuno Barros - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)Guy M.W. Stevens - Manta Trust (United Kingdom)
- Publication details
- Biological Conservation, Vol.313, pp.1-21
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111589
- ISSN
- 1873-2917; 0006-3207
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- Data will be made available on request.
- Grant note
- 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.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991192143402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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