©Conservation International/photo by Edy Setyawan “You might say the area’s ‘manta-nomic’ outlook is strong.” Raja Ampat. “Reef manta rays are a key attraction for the ecotourism that drives Raja Ampat’s economy,” Erdmann added. Importantly, the Indigenous communities of Raja Ampat benefit as well. “The findings clearly demonstrate the positive impact of a comprehensive set of long-term conservation measures to ensure the survival of this globally threatened species.” “This is a big win for conservation and Raja Ampat’s local communities,” said Mark Erdmann, who leads Conservation International’s Asia-Pacific marine programs. That includes establishing large-scale marine protected areas (MPAs), coupled with creating Southeast Asia’s first shark and ray sanctuary in 2012, and developing fisheries and tourism regulations, according to the study published in Frontiers of Marine Science. What’s behind the ray’s success? Holistic conservation efforts. Their populations around the world are plummeting, but in one protected area off the coast of Indonesia, a new study shows the rays are not only bucking worldwide trends – they’re thriving.įor over a decade, researchers in the Raja Ampat archipelago have monitored the threatened species, watching its population soar - more than double in one location - even as others struggled. Targeted for their gill plates and trapped accidentally in fishing nets, reef manta rays are in trouble.
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