How Peru fell in love with a sea giant worth far more alive than dead

[Judi Lynn]

Dan Collyns in Zorritos

@yachay_dc
Tue 25 Jun 2019 02.00 EDT

The giant manta ray is at risk in the Pacific ocean, but the rise of ecotourism is changing attitudes among local fishermen

@yachay_dc
Tue 25 Jun 2019 02.00 EDT Last modified on Tue 25 Jun 2019 02.01 EDT

Fishermen heading out to sea off Peru’s northern coast keep a keen eye on the turquoise waters below them, hoping for a glimpse of the elusive giant manta ray gliding by.

Nowadays the boats are taking tourists rather than nets. The fish they once caught are now in decline, and the fish the visitors want to see now are worth far more alive than dead.

This wildlife-rich stretch of the eastern tropical Pacific shared with Ecuador is home to one of the largest populations of the world’s biggest ray – the giant manta – and the local community, led by marine scientist Kerstin Forsberg, is trying to conserve the creatures.

These ocean-going giants are targeted for their gill plates, used in Chinese medicine, or, more commonly in Peruvian waters, they become entangled in fishing nets. With a wingspan that can measure as much as nine metres across, the giant manta rays have declined by up to a third globally and are classified as vulnerable on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/25/peru-sea-giant-worth-far-more-alive-than-dead-giant-manta-ray

[eppur_se_muova]

1. That's Chinese "medicine". Don't omit the quotes. nt

[kat3rinamarquez]

2. Good to know some are paying attention

I hope this does not stop in Peru. Hopefully, more countries would join hands to preserve these beautiful creatures. We need them to balance our eco-system (in a way).