Action Grantee: Danny Copeland / Mini Manta of Maria / Pew Charitable Trusts

Danny Copeland / Mini Manta of Maria

**To view this film with VR360 functionality please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xsu5uiDVg0

Danny Copeland's film The Mini Mantas of Maria resulted in the protection of mobulid rays by CITES in October of 2016.  Danny and the Manta Trust team traveled to South Africa to attend the CITES conference where they showed the film to delegates attending the conference in an effort to gain protection for this ray species.  After watching the video the votes of the delegates came rolling in, and on October 3, 2016 protection was granted for the mobulid rays.  Learn more about ths project here.

Danny Copeland: #loveminimantas

About the Project

Mobulid rays are a family of fishes consisting of nine species of mobula ray and two species of manta.  Also known as devil rays, mobulids are some of the least undersood and charismatic animals in the oceans.  Yet their populations are in decline.  Fisheries target them for their gill plates to serve a demand in Asia for their use in a medicinal tonic believed to heal various afflictions.  No scientific evidence spports these claims.  Conservation NGOs have combated the trade by highlighting its unsustainability and their superior economic value of mobulid ecotourism.  Efforts began with manta rays, and in 2013 both species were listed on Appendix II of CITES - the only international and legally binding treaty that can be used to control the trade in endangered species.