Reef manta rays, Species Recovery in Raja Ampat

"Raja Ampat archipelago in West Papua is home to Indonesia’s largest population of reef manta rays, Mobula alfredi . . . Their populations have been depleted due to overfishing in many regions in Indo-Pacific . . . In Raja Ampat, there were anecdotal reports from the local community suggesting that reef manta rays were often caught unintentionally by non-local shark fishers. In the 1990s and early 2000s, sharks were heavily caught in Raja Ampat using large gillnets and longlines, not to mention other illegal and destructive fishing practices by outsiders . . . To protect marine biodiversity and ensure food security for local communities, the Raja Ampat government officially developed a marine protected area network in 2007. Since then, manta rays in the region have begun to enjoy some protection." Research shows that these conservation efforts in the region have paid off with an estimated 20% population boost and a 93% survival rate.