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Recent Trends in the Mobulid Fishery in Indian Waters

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Recent Trends in the Mobulid Fishery in Indian Waters Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences Vol. 44(9), September 2015, pp. 1265-1274 Recent trends in the mobulid fishery in Indian waters Rekha J. Nair,*, P.U Zacharia, S. Dinesh Kumar, T.GKishor, N. D. Divya, P.K Seetha, K.S Sobhana Demersal Fisheries Division, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi-682018 India. [E-mail: [email protected]] Received 7 November 2013; revised 19 May 2014 Mobulidae are zooplanktivorous elasmobranchs, found circumglobally in tropical, subtropical and temperate coastal waters. It comprises of two recognized species of manta rays (Manta spp.) and nine recognized species of devil rays (Mobulaspp.). Although the reports of mobulid fisheryin India were only from 1960s, however it was commercially exploited only after 2007 for their valuable gillrakers. Mobuladiabolus, M. tarpacana, M. japonica, M. kuhlii, M. thurstoni, Manta birostris and M. alfredi are the seven species which contributes tomobulid fishery. White gilled Mobulatarpacana is highly targeted for its high priced gill raker which fetches uptoRs. 8,000 kg-1 in dry weight.Few mobulid species has already reached the IUCN Red list status. Thorough monitoring of mobulid fish exploitation level is essential in India. It is necessary to ensure standardized sampling and modelling methodologies to estimate the stock position of these fishes from Indian waters. [Keywords:Mobulids, fishery, gill rakers, exploited, Indian waters.] Introduction Mobulids are large sized zooplanktivorous Species identification of mobulids is elasmobranchs which are found problematic because of the close external circumglobally in tropical, subtropical and resemblance of many species which has lead temperate coastal waters. Mobulids are to taxonomic ambiguities. Till 2009, Manta harmless to human beings, although earlier rays were recorded only as Manta birostris. literature painted them as ‘diabolical With the redescription of Mantaspp9, a new creatures’ and ‘ferocious brutes’1,2. Although species Manta alfredi was recognized. their existence has been documented since Misidentification of Mobulaspp is very the 17th century3, information on their biology common even in current literature4. This has and ecology is scanty4. lead to problems in the IUCN assessment of many mobulid species. The 2011 IUCN Red List World over, mobulids are represented by two reassessment has listed the two Manta species of manta rays, Manta alfredi (Krefft, species Manta birostris (Walbaum, 1792) and 1868) andM. birostris(Walbaum, 1792) and M. alfredi (Krefft, 1868) as globally nine species of devil rays, Vulnerable10,11. Data deficiency status has Mobulaeregoodootenkee(Bleeker,1859), been given for three Mobula species M.hypostoma(Bancroft, 1832), (Mobulahypostoma, M. kuhliiand M. M.japanica(Muller and Henle,1841), M. 12-14 tarapacana), Near Threatened for M. kuhlii(Muller andHenle, 1841), M. mobular eregoodootenkee, M. japanica, M. (Bonnaterre, 1788), M. munkianaand M. thurstoni, Vulnerable for M. munkiana(Notarbartolo-di-Sciara, 1987), M. roachebruneiandEndangered for M. rochebrunei (Vaillant, 1879), M. tarapacana 15-20 mobular . (Philippi, 1892) and M. thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908)8,9.Mobulids are highly epipelagic rays that are challenging to observe. 1266 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 44, NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2015 Although the presence of these East coast Mobula spp. 3000000 mobulids in Indian waters were reported West coast Mobula spp. 21,22 East coast Manta earlier ,with the inclusion of manta rays in 2500000 West coast Manta CITES Appendix II since May 2013, appropriate record of catch is essential. The present trend 2000000 for fishing of the mobulids for the highly valuable gill rakers23will threaten the status of 1500000 the mobulids further in the Indian EEZ. In this study we present landing data of mobulids in 1000000 Indian waters from 1961-2011 to understand trends in fishery and highlight conservation 500000 needs. Materials and Methods 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Literature survey was carried out in detail with majority of the literature available through the Central Marine Fisheries Research Figure I: Landings of Manta spp. in west and Institute (CMFRI) website east coast of India from 2007-2011. (www.eprints.cmfri.org.in)and published fishery data of CMFRI for the period 1961 - Mobulids were not of much commercial value 2013. The published literature was tabulated in fishery till late 2007; however, across the to get an account of the landings reported globe, large numbers are being landed in from different coasts. Fishery data on rays was targeted and bycatch fisheriesdue to also taken from CMFRI website; besides increasing demand for mobulid products in 5,6,7 regular weekly field observation was also the Asian markets . Fisheries for mobulids conducted at Cochin Fisheries Harbour for a are considered to be unsustainable because of one year period to note the ray landing at the large, directed catches coupled with the very 4 Harbour as well as the gill raker trade in low fecundity, long gestation period . Manta practice. Species identification of mobulids rays bear only one pup on an average every and manta rays landed was done using two to three years, which makes them highly Photoidentification guide of Manta Trust using vulnerable to overexploitation. They are killed gill rakers and ventral body markings. as bycatch and in targeted fisheries throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian The close resemblances in the external Oceans. In recent years, manta ray fishing has characters of Mobula and Manta species have expanded in many places throughout their proven to be a barrier in the field range, primarily in response to the emerging identification. In majority of cases during the international market for their gill plates. study, the fishes were cut up in the harbour Manta ray gill plates, which are sold in some itself and gill rakers removed, meat sold in Asian markets in a tonic with purported health retail markets. Identification was easier for benefits, are the part most valued in Mobula species using the gill raker plates international trade, with cartilage and skins of rather than the body markings. The lesser importance.Population depletion for mobulidMobulatarpacana was locally called oceanic and reef mantas is high in several “white” due to the white nature of the gills; regions, with declines by more than 85 the other species Mobula japonica and M. 5 percent of the baseline . thurstoni was called “black” due to the black RECENT TRENDS IN THE MOBULID FISHERY IN INDIAN WATERS 1267 colour of the gill plates. Recently named shown a decline after 2009. Landings of Manta alfredi was easily mistaken for Manta Manta sppspp.. increased on the west coast upto birostris except for the black collar like patch 2010 and showed a slight decline in 2011 around the head. In addition to the species (Fig.I). However, landandingsings on the east coast identification,pups of MobulajapanicaMobulajapanica, were scarce. The presence of another M.tarpacanaandManta alfredi were collected unidentified Mobulasp. is also reported in the from pregnant females during the study catch data. During the year 2012, 75 % of the period moobulidbulid landings in Kerala were constituted by Mobulajaponica, followed by M. Results tarpacana, M. diabolus, M. birostris and M. Fishery kuhlii. (Fig. II) India along with Indonesia, Sri Lanka comprise the top three manta fishing countries andaccoaccountunt for an estimated 90 percent of the world’s manta catch and target mantas for their gill plates. Commerce in gill plates is not well-docudocumented,mented, although an estimate of the total volume of thethe gill plate trade has been produced from an analysis of market surveys in the major manta ray gill plate markets- Guangzhou,Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau in China, as well as Singapore, with an estimated 99 percent of the market based in Guangzhou. These surveys estimated the annual volume of gill plate sales as about 21,000 kilograms (46,300 pounds) of dried manta ray gill plates and representing an estimated 4,652 manta rays. Virtually no management existsfor the international trade in manta products. (http:http://www.pewenvironment.org/news//www.pewenvironment.org/news- Figure II: Percentage contribution of different room/fact-sheets/cites-2013-manta-rays-). mobulidspecies to the fishery in Kerala during In India, during the period 2007-12Mobula 2011-2012 landlandingsings on the west coast of India comprising Taking a sppeciesecies breakup of the fishery at of the statestates of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kochi during 2011, seven species contributed Karnataka and Gujarat have increased to the fishery namely Mobuladiabolus, M. tremendously from 790 t to 2694 t. Gujarat tarpacana,tarpacana, M. japonica, M.kuhlii, M.thurstoni, contributed to over 50 % of the fishery, Manta birostris and M. alfredi, Mobula followed by Kerala. Landings showed an japonica was the major contributor followed increase of 86 % in 2011 over 2007 on the by M. tarpacanaand contributed to 65 % of west coast. Taking a specieswiseecieswise account, two the ray fishery. The locations along the Indian species namely MobulaMobuladiabolusdiabolusand coast where Manta and Mobulid rays landings Mobulaspp was the major contributors. On were reported during the period 1961 - 2013 the east coast, Tamil Nadu was the major is shown in Fig.III. contributor with 86 % share; landings have 1268 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 44, NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2015 25 at maturity for M. tarpacana as 234-252 cm for males16, the fishes caught were mature. 20 The WD for females
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