PRESS RELEASE
Manta Pacific Research Foundation Announces Act 092(09)

HB366 enacted into law

Honolulu, HAWAII - June 5, 2009 - Governor Lingle today signed House Bill 366 creating Act 092(09) establishing criminal penalties and administrative fines for knowingly killing or capturing manta rays within State waters.

This makes Hawaii the first state in the union to protect manta rays and it joins Mexico, the Philippines, and Yap in protecting these animals. House Bill 366, and it's companion Senate Bill 394, were introduced by Representative Denny Coffman and Senator Josh Green respectively in January of this year. Many more representatives and senators signatures were on the initial versions of the Bills introduced to the legislature. After passing through several committee readings in first the House and then the Senate, some modifications to the original text, and testimony submitted from supporters world wide, HB366 is now an Act of law.

Manta Pacific Research Foundation (MPRF) has been working with the Hawaii community and our State Legislature for five years to provide protection to manta rays in Hawaii. We are very thankful that the Governor signed the bill, creating Act 092 which will finally protect these amazing animals.

A Bill for an Act

The final version of HB366 makes it illegal for any person to knowingly capture or kill a manta ray in Hawaiian waters. While no fishery currently exists in Hawaii for manta rays, there are fisheries throughout South East Asia and Indonesia to provide meat, skins, and branchial elements that are being used in traditional Asian medicines. The demand for branchial elements (gill rakers and filaments) has been especially detrimental for manta ray populations in the areas they are fished. This law will protect manta rays in Hawaii from any future fishing pressure, and provides a way to prosecute senseless killings like the spotted eagle ray that was found last year with a spear through it in Kona.

The law does allow for manta rays to be taken under a special activity permit. However, this take is not to exceed the potential biological removal (PBR) level, which is a very conservative level of take designed to keep the mantas at their optimum sustainable population size. While it is important to allow for the possible take of manta rays for educational or research purposes, limiting the take to the PBR will insure that any permitted removal of manta rays from the population will not affect the overall health of the population. This is the same level of protection afforded marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and is based on the population size and life history characteristics of the species.

Hawaii now joins with Yap, Mexico, and the Philippines in protecting manta rays. Our research on the movement patterns and habitat use of manta rays shows that while some are residents to particular locations, others regularly migrate over hundreds of miles. While resident coastal populations like we find in Hawaii can be protected with local legislation, more migratory populations will need more regional protection. MPRF will continue to address these issues through research, education, and eventually legislative processes. We look forward to your continued support in these efforts as we continue to learn about and protect these wonderful animals.

About Manta Pacific Research Foundation
At Manta Pacific Research Foundation, our mission is to study manta rays in their natural habitat, conduct scientific research, provide education programs for the public about manta rays and the marine environment, and to establish and promote worldwide manta ray conservation.

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