Fisheries, trade, and conservation of manta and devil rays in Peru

The Mobulidae family comprises nine extant manta and devil ray (mobulid) species in the monogeneric genus Mobula, of which five occur in Peruvian waters. In this study, we assessed mobulid ray landings and trade along the coast of Peru by analysing historical captures, monitoring landing sites, and conducting interviews with fishers (n = 37) and traders (n = 21). A total of 7444.9 tons of mobulids were reported from 2000 to the end of 2023 in artisanal fisheries through data collected by the Marine Institute of Peru. Between 2013 and 2023, mean yearly mobulid ray landings for northern Peru were approximately 11,520 individuals (7414 M. munkiana, 3126 M. mobular, and 981 M. thurstoni) based on species-specific estimates of weight at maturity. This ranks Peru among the top mobulid fisheries globally. Of great concern was a 75.05% decline in mobulid ray landings between 2013 and 2023 relative to 2000–2012. Additionally, six key mobulid landing sites in the Tumbes and Piura region were monitored between April 2017 and February 2019, sampling 257 mobulid ray specimens for detailed morphometric data. In these surveys, the most abundant species was M. mobular (n = 156, 60.7%), followed by M. thurstoni (n = 47, 18.3%), M. munkiana (n = 24, 9.3%), and M. birostris (n = 4, 1.6%). Interviews suggest the highest mobulid landings occur during the warm season (December to May). Although M. birostris has been protected in Peruvian waters since 2016, and recent legislation extends protection to all mobulid species, this study reinforces that all mobulid species are globally threatened. Therefore, the large number of mobulid rays landed in Peru annually is a major concern and requires urgent attention by fisheries management authorities to determine the necessary regulations required to conserve these highly vulnerable species.