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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Ellen Barrowclift-Mahon
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).
© 2025 The AuthorsSignificant 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.
Author(s): Laglbauer BJL, D'Costa NG, Stewart JD, Palacios MD, Cronin M, Fernando D, Lezama-Ochoa N, Armstrong AO, Jabado RW, Fowler S, Lawson JM, Koubrak O, Murua J, Ko Gyi T, Karnad D, Chopra M, Notarbartolo-di-Sciara G, Rambahiniarison J, Croll D, Rojas S, Fahmi, Harris JL, Binthe Haque A, Murua H, Perez-Jimenez JC, Humble E, Barrowclift E, Salim MG, De Bruyne G, Seidu I, Zambrano-Vizquel LA, Davies K, Moazzam Khan M, Bucair N, Johnson J, Labyedh G, Takoukam Kamla A, Fuentes K, Carter R, Barros N, Stevens GMW
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Biological Conservation
Year: 2026
Volume: 313
Print publication date: 01/01/2026
Online publication date: 07/11/2025
Acceptance date: 26/10/2025
ISSN (print): 0006-3207
ISSN (electronic): 1873-2917
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111589
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111589
Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.
