To submit a manta ray sighting click here
The Manta Ray Awareness
Program aims to protect manta ray populations
in Hawaii, to help preserve the beauty and diversity of Hawaii’s coastlines,
while educating the public and thus benefiting the people, visitors and economy
of Hawaii.
 A
recent demand in East Asia for manta ray gill arches to be used in medicine
poses the greatest immediate threat to the manta rays. This has caused a
dramatic increase in fishing pressure throughout Southeast Asia and Eastern
Africa and has led to significant population declines in the Philippines,
Mexico, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia. Since June 5th, 2009, a law was passed making it illegal to knowingly kill or capture a manta ray in Hawaii State waters. Without such a law, Hawaii's small, island-associated populations could be severely threatened.
To view Hawaii Bill 366 HD2 SD2 CD1 click here
Hawaii’s marine life not only defines the beauty of Hawaii but it is also at the
center of Hawaii’s economy.  Hawaii possesses 85% of all U.S. coral reefs. These
reefs, and the animals they support, are attracting nearly 4 million visitors to
Hawaii each year.
Manta rays are known to congregate in very
specific locations around Maui’s shallow water reefs. Over the years, commercial
dive operators have abstained from capitalizing on these unique areas primarily
for the protection of these awe-inspiring animals and their surrounding
habitats.
However, in the September issue of Sport Diver
magazine, an article featuring a local Maui dive company boasts
manta ray dive excursions to these precious areas. It won’t be long before most
of the dive companies on Maui follow suit.
 The
potential impact of hundreds of divers each day, interfering with the daily
activities of these manta rays is unknown. Additionally, the impact to reef
habitat from boats anchoring in the area would be devastating. In the past,
divers participating in commercial manta ray dives off Kona couldn’t refrain
from touching the mantas. This removes the protective mucous layer on the
manta’s skin leading to infected sores that persist for months.
Manta rays inhabiting inshore habitats around populated areas of Hawaii are also vulnerable to pollution, coastal development
and eco-tourism. What impacts these man-made threats are having are unknown.
Manta rays have very slow growing populations with limited capability to
re-establish themselves  if their numbers were to decline.
The lack of protection for manta rays globally
and locally is directly linked to the lack of information about this species.
The World Conservation Union categorizes manta rays as “data deficient”,
preventing an accurate assessment of the risk posed by target fisheries and
other man made threats. The Manta Ray Awareness Program is designed to vastly
improve this information deficiency over the next few years by providing a
better understanding of population sizes, population demographics, social
behavior, habitat range, and habitat needs.
The program incorporates three necessary
approach strategies:
- The first strategy focuses directly on
obtaining baseline information about population abundances, movements,
demographics and social behavior of manta rays in Maui. These variables
will be monitored for changes over time.
- The second strategy focuses on understanding
the characteristics of the habitats they choose, and how abundant these
habitats are throughout Maui. The health of these habitats also will be
monitored over time.
- The third strategy focuses on education.
Sustainable co-habitation of both the people and the manta rays requires that
the commercial tour operators, management agencies, children, and the
general public be educated about the animals and their habitats. Only by
changing their awareness can we change their behavior.
 To date, 293 individual manta rays have been
identified in Maui County waters. Each individual can be identified by
its unique pattern of spots, visible on its ventral surface. Of these, 152 have been sized using a technique known as paired-laser photogrammetry.
By matching
new photographs with previous photographs, a life history for each
individual manta ray can be created. Matched photographs or 'resights' over time can
tell us valuable information
about the manta ray's home range, fidelity to specific areas, social bonds with
other manta rays, pupping rates for adult females, and other interesting facts.
Stay tuned as
we continue to discover new information about Maui's mantas...
To support this much needed program click here
To submit a manta ray sighting click here
|
