Three
traders arrested for dealing in whole manta rays and their gills, in first
detentions since legal protections
 |
| Butchered manta rays in Indonesia, where a sanctuary for the species was created in February 2014 Photograph: Paul Hilton/Greenpeace |
Indonesia
has detained three traders for attempting to illegally sell manta rays, the
first such arrests since the world’s biggest archipelago introduced legislation
protecting the huge winged fish, conservationists said.
In
February, the biggest manta ray sanctuary on Earth was established in Indonesia
in a bid to put a stop to the creatures being hunted for use in traditional
medicine, and attract more tourists.
Manta rays
are now protected within the millions of square kilometres of ocean surrounding
Southeast Asia’s biggest nation, with fishing and export of the creatures
banned.
US-based
group the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates a wildlife crimes unit
in Indonesia, said that three manta ray traders were arrested in August and
September on the main island of Java.
The arrests
send a “clear message that Indonesia is serious about protecting its natural
heritage against illegal wildlife traders,” Joe Walston, the society’s vice
president for field conservation said in a statement released this week.
Indonesia’s
Marine Affairs Minister Sharif C. Sutardjo hailed the arrests, and was cited as
saying: “Illegal trading of protected species threatens the sustainability of
marine and fisheries resources in Indonesia.”
 |
Officials
holding sezied manta ray gills in Indonesia Photograph: Paul Hilton/Greenpeace
|
The first
arrest on 22 August involved a trader in Surabaya city in the east of Java
attempting to sell a shipment that included manta ray gills, which are sought
after in China for their use in traditional medicine.
A second
trader was arrested in Sidoarjo, near Surabaya, on 1 September, while the third
was detained on 26 September in Indramayu in west Java, attempting to sell an
entire manta ray.
Trafficking
manta rays, whose numbers in Indonesia have fallen sharply in recent years, is
punishable by a maximum fine of $25,000, the conservation group said.
The rays
have wingspans up to 25 feet (7.5 metres), which they flap to propel themselves
through the water, and are a favourite sight for foreign tourists, many of whom
come to Indonesia to dive.
Protection
group the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies both
species of manta ray - the oceanic and reef varieties - as vulnerable.
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