A giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) weighing about 1,150 kg was caught by fishermen 60 nautical miles off Machilipatnam coast near Palayakatippa beach in Krishna district.
The ray was caught on the evening of June 15, in the gill net by a group of six fishermen on a mechanised boat. The fishermen, led by Venkanna, had ventured into the sea on June 11.
Boat owner, Arja Shankara Rao said that the aquatic animal was brought out from the water at the Gilakaladindi harbour with the support of a crane. The 1,150-kg ray fetched ₹37,000 at the Kakinada harbour during an auction on Wednesday. The ray has been transported by road from Gilakaladindi harbour to Kakinada.
IUCN Red List
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, the giant manta ray is ‘vulnerable’ as its population is decreasing. In India, it has been sighted in Andhra Pradesh, Andaman Islands, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala, and the species are ‘full migrant’ as per its movement patterns, according to the IUCN.
According to the Forest Department staff that record marine species at the fish landing centres, the ray species are fetching a record price as ‘Gill Rakers’ are believed to be used for medicinal purposes.
