Conserving Manta Rays through community engagement
The giant manta ray is an iconic and endangered species, with populations declining worldwide. In northern Peru, mantas are frequently caught as bycatch in gillnets from small-scale fisheries. This not only reduces manta numbers but also damages fishing nets, creating economic challenges for low-income communities that depend on fishing for their livelihoods.
Planeta Ocèano is working directly with 15 fishers in participatory monitoring and five fishers from the ecotourism association, all of which will become conservation ambassadors within the local fishing community. The project also engages women, university and secondary school students, local schools and government officials.
The project aims to advance manta conservation and address manta bycatch by:
- Supporting the reactivation of community-based manta ray eco-tourism in northern Peru
- Scaling-up a participatory monitoring system for fishers to report manta ray occurrence
- Co-designing and delivering practical recommendations to address manta bycatch, and;
- Strengthening local awareness for giant manta conservation.
Header photo credit: joostvanuffelen.com
Gallery photo credits: Planeta Oceano
