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Instructions
Do not buy product that could potentially contain manta ray meat. Speak out about why people should avoid foods and medicinal products that could contain manta ray. Manta rays are easy targets for fisherman with their vast wingspan and shallow swimming level. Mantas.org says the gills of these creatures are used in traditional Chinese medicine and their meat is filler for shark fin stew. Being members of the shark family, manta's are predatory and don't reproduce in large batches. A mature manta ray will produce a pup once every one to three years. Over-fishing will devastate the manta ray population.
Write to your local representative and express your desire for a law protecting these animals from hunters and sportsmen. Environmentalists can lobby for similar law mandated manta rays protection in countries such as Indonesia, Mexico and the Philippines, where there has been recorded population decline, according to IUCN Red List. According to WetPixelOnline, Hawaii is a prime place to view manta rays in the wild, but no current laws protect them from harm. Do your part to push for a bill in the Hawaiian state legislature that protects manta rays by signing petitions, holding meetings or writing a bill proposal yourself.
Protect ocean and breeding ground ecosystems to ensure the repopulation of wild manta rays. Manta rays are migratory and have specific breeding grounds throughout the world at which they meet to mate. If these breeding grounds are not preserved as a safe haven for these animals, it will disrupt their reproductive cycle according to the IUCN Red List. Preventing hunters from using these places of congregations and easy hunting grounds will help protect the species.
Pledge whatever you have to give to organizations such as Save the Mantas and Manta Ray Research, which are trying to create a sustainable environment for these animals. It could be your time, money or just helping to get the word out that makes the difference.