Here's a short post about the upcoming CITES convention. I am finishing off one to post about our collaboration with The Manta Trust. I will send shortly. Hope your flight went smoothly and you have a lovely time with your kids in Thailand.
Time is running out for marine megafauna – take action before CITES March Convention
Manta rays; Manta bioristris, Manta alfredi, flying carpets, big birds, devil monsters from the deep (!) – call them what you will, most will be hard pressed to find one person who has had an encounter with these creatures who wasn’t deeply touched.
However incomprehensible it may seem, it may be surprising and saddening to hear that these creatures face a number of threats from man, and subsequently face a precarious future.
Between 3-14th March, delegates will gather at the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) CoP16 convention in Bangkok to discuss increased protection of many marine species, including manta rays.
Manta rays face threats from unsustainable fishing and the dubious Chinese medicine trade. Organisations such as The Manta Trust are petitioning delegates of CITES to raise the protection status of a number of species, including manta rays and many species of shark, which will attempt to ensure tighter control of global trade in the animal and subsequently attempt to eliminate the risk of extinction.
If you love the marine environment, its many and varied creatures and want to dive and swim with them for many years to come, please take a moment to read the information and to add your names to the petitions below. Why not share with your friends and family as well.
Wicked Diving Komodo is working this season to gather data for research into manta rays and sharks and to raise awareness about the threats these animals are currently facing. Stay tuned for more announcements about these trips.
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