Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries announced the largest confiscation of illegal manta ray parts as part of a major enforcement action against the illegal trade of sharks and rays. A recent arrest confiscated 227 pounds of gill plates, the appendages that filter the plankton on which they feed and that are in demand in Chinese markets for use in a health tonic not recognized by traditional Chinese medicine. The total trade is worth $30 million annually. The Wildlife Conservation Society, a MacArthur grantee, maintains a Wildlife Crimes Unit in Indonesia as part of its marine conservation work to provide data and technical advice to law enforcement. The MacArthur-supported Conservation International worked on a policy process that led to an early 2014 decision by Indonesia to protect Manta rays.
