Project

Fishing for devil rays

Species

Rays & Skates

Years funded

2013, 2014

Status

Archived

Project type

Research

Affiliation

Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (APECO)

Description

Slow-breeding manta and mobula rays are easily over-fished. Liliana is conducting the first study of mobulid fishing in Peru – a vital step to ensuring these species’ survival in the region.

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Liliana Ayala

Project leader

About the project leader

Callao is the principal harbour of Peru, a country with the good fortune to have its coast washed by the productive Humboldt Current, which supports the anchovy fishery, one of the most important of its kind in the world. It was in Callao that I was born, and where my first childhood memory is of being on a boat with my parents and sister one Sunday in summer. The waters were calm that sunny morning as a sea breeze played around us. In those days it was the custom to eat fresh fish every day and I learned about the...

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PROJECT LOCATION : Peru

Related Blogs

By Liliana Ayala, 21st April 2014

The Mobulid ray trade in northern Peru

Many of the fishermen interviewed by us, some months ago, said the Mobulid catches in Tumbes are trade in Lambayeque, both in northern Peru. Last week, I visited two places where Mobulids are trade: San José and Santa Rosa, located 346 Km from Tumbes. The…

By Liliana Ayala, 3rd March 2014

Previous reports of Mobulid landing in Peru

The objective of our project is trying to obtain some base information of Mobulid ray fishery in Peru. However, there is previous information collected in our country. Let see what report this source: The landings show us that more than 24 t of Mobulid…

By Liliana Ayala, 19th February 2014

Mobulid ray fishery according to fishermen

We conducted a questionnaire survey in Zorritos, Acapulco and Cancas, all of them in Tumbes. Tumbes has a total of 3,447 fishermen (8% of all Peruvian fishermen) and catch species like: Peruvian rock seabass (Paralabrax humeralis), Peruvian weakfish (Cynoscion analis), Corvina drum (Cilus gilbert), Striped…

By Liliana Ayala, 3rd September 2013

Field reconnaissance: Fishing villages of Zorritos, Cancas, Acapulco and La Cruz

There are some reports of Mobulid catches in Tumbes, one of the northern department of Peru, during 2011. A total of 111.4 t has been registered in this region with a maximum of 42.5 in August and a minimal of 1.2 in April (average: 9.3…

Project details

First assessment of Manta and Mobula Rays fishery in Peru

Key objective

This project will assess the composition, distribution, sex ratio, sizes, investment, profits and markets of the mobulid rays (Mobulidae) fishery on the northern coast of Peru through interviews and observations in ports.

Why is this important

We need to know the size of this fishery in order to inform authorities and establish strategies to manage it. This project will assess the species, gear characteristics, quantities, ports and seasons in which fishermen are catching mobulid rays.

Background

Among elasmobranchs, the relationship between body size and range size is a good predictor of a species susceptibility to extinction. Mobulidae are zooplanktivorous elasmobranchs comprising two recognised species of manta rays (Manta spp.) and nine recognised species of devil rays (Mobula spp.). Manta birostris is one of the species in this group most prone to extinction in the tropical eastern Pacific. There are some reports of Mobulid catches in Tumbes (northern Peru) during all months of 2011. A total of 111.4 tonnes has been registered here. This is more than the Mobulid catches in Ecuador during 2009, before the Ministry Agreement 093-2010, when 83 tonnes were reported in two ports.

Aims & objectives

Identify the species of manta and mobula rays caught by Peruvian fisheries and their distribution
Collect biological and fisheries data
Identify markets, investment and profits of the manta and mobula ray trade
Recommend strategies for management and conservation of manta and mobula rays.

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