Manta Rays and Chinese medicine.

[spinyeel 2]

Apparently the Manta Rays that so many people travel to see at Ningaloo Reef in W.A.are under threat because their dried gill rakers are worth a packet to the Chinese. These majestic creatures migrate from our waters to Indonesian waters and are being ruthlessly slaughtered as I type. Is there a creature on this planet that these people don't think cures erectile dysfunction? Happy Australia day.

[Kelvin 2,206]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-25/chinese-medicine-threatens-ningaloo-manta-rays/3792252The ABC article links to this site herehttp://www.sharksavers.org/en/blogs/808-the-million-dollar-manta-being-killed-worldwide-for-unproven-health-tonics.htmlThe report "Manta Ray of Hope: The Global Threat to Manta and Mobula Rays" was commissioned by Shark Savers and WildAid. Here is some info from their site.About Shark Savers: Shark Savers was founded in 2007 by six long-time divers driven by a shared passion – to save the world’s dwindling shark and ray populations. Today, more than 20,000 members from 99 nations share that passion. Focusing on action and results, Shark Savers programs result in saving the lives of sharks and rays. By leveraging professional experience and expertise, Shark Savers brings this important issue to the masses in many compelling forms, motivating people to stop consuming sharks and shark fin soup, and working for the creation of shark sanctuaries and other protections. For more information, please visit www.sharksavers.org About WildAid: WildAid focuses on addressing the human threat to wildlife. Our comprehensive approach includes public awareness campaigns and educational initiatives to reduce consumer demand for wildlife products, and working with communities to support and enforce key protected habitats around the world. For more information, please visit www.wildaid.org. While I can only claim a very superficial knowledge of traditional chinese medicine, I did find this paragraph from the sharksavers site interesting"The gills of manta and mobula rays are dried and boiled for preparation as a health tonic that is purported to treat a wide range of ailments. Yet the report’s researchers did not find the gill raker remedy listed in the official Traditional Chinese Medicine manual. However, that has not prevented its use as a pseudo-medicinal tonic, driven by direct marketing to consumers by importers in Guangzhou, China, the primary destination for this trade."

[Tacklebags 404]

I read up about these groups.While their campaign to save the manta ray is admirable, their focus on using large no take zones at Ningaloo in WA as an answer to the slaughter will achieve nothing IMO. Aussie anglers are not responsible.The Ningaloo Marine Park Authority are also lobbying to use this type of problem to enlarge the no take zones within their MPA. No take zones have there place in marine science but this is not one of them. The 'any excuse to ban fishing mantra' even against the basic understanding of things marine is a major factor as to why I would rather not have Marine Parks.Some of these authorities (not all) interstate seek to utilse every avenue possible for political gain or self importance despite the relevance or effectiveness of promoting exclusion of stakeholders. To have democratic outcomes that benefit marine creatures such as the manta ray. Mankind needs to tackle the problem at it's source by negating the demand not by dumbed down self vested science promotion.Population control on this planet being a good start in reducing demand.TB