the case of hanifaru bay by niv froman

7/18/2019 The Case of Hanifaru Bay by Niv Froman

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Conserving Reef Manta Rays ( Manta alfredi) in the Maldives

Hanifaru Bay – A study case



Manta Rays

Largest Ever Recorded Manta:Width = 6.8m (22ft) & Weight = 2,000kg

Cartilaginous Elasmobranchs

Oceanic Manta Ray – Manta birostris

Reef Manta Ray

Manta alfredi

Conservative Life History Strategies



Feeding Behaviour

Chain Feeding

Mass Feeding

Huge mouths and gills filterzooplankton from the water column

Planktonic Soup



Manta Cleaning Stations

Blue-streakedCleaner Wrasse

(Labroides

dimidiatus)

Cleaner fish removeparasites

Cleaning stations areimportant focal locations

for social behaviour,including mating



Manta Reproduction

Internal fertilization

occurs after elaboratecourtship

SexualDimorphism

MatingTrain

Copulation



Manta Reproduction

Female’s MatingScars

Females give birth to just one(1.5-2m), fully independent pup

after a year long gestation

Manta

Foetus



Threats to Mobulid Rays

Tuna Purse-Seine NetFisheries

By-Catch

SharkFishing Nets

Gill Nets

Mooring Buoys

Gill Nets



Manta FisheriesAfrica

Manta & Mobula Ray fisheriesaround the world are decimating

populations

Mexico

IndonesiaSri Lanka



Gill Plate TradeWHY?? New demand

from Asia for themantas dried gill

plates used in

traditional medicines



Legislation & Protection

Some countries have taken their own

steps to protect manta rays -

In Feb 2014 manta rays became fullyprotected in Indonesia and in the

Maldives there has been an export banon all rays since 1995 to prevents any

form of commercial fisheries

In 2011 manta rays were upgraded to

“Vulnerable” status on the IUCN’s RED Listof Threatened Species

In Nov 2011 signatory nations to theConvention on Migratory Species of Wild

Animals (CMS) agreed to list the giant oceanic

manta ray (M.birostris ) under CMS Appendix Iand Appendix II and in 2013 both manta

species were added to Appendix II of CITES



Tourism in the Maldives 3500km

2

coral reefs,1,110 species of fish,250 species of coral,

globally importantpopulations of manta

rays and whale

sharks In 2013 over 1 milliontourists visit this tiny

island nation Tourism = 27% of

GDP (67% ifsecondary services

are included)



Manta Tourism

Through tourism, manta raysgenerate US$8.1 million in

direct revenue for theMaldivian economy each

year. Globally this figure isUS$140 million



Photo-ID & Sightings Database Each individual manta has a unique

pattern of spots on it’s ventral surface, just like a fingerprint

Sighting records and identificationdatabase; ID number, sex, maturity,

injuries, etc.

Total: Over 25,000 confirmed photo-ID sightings of 3,300 different

individual from 2005-2014

Hanifaru; 12,289 confirmedsightings of 1,379 differentindividuals from 2007-2014



Research Population Size & Structure Reproductive Strategies &

Population Fecundity Feeding & Reproductive

Behaviours

29

4

27

18

10

0 0 0 1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

% Pregnant

The average pregnancy rateacross all study years in theentire population is just 10%

Impacts of Tourism



Maldivian Manta Population - 98% of reef manta rays (Manta

alfredi ) - Resident population. Individuals

don’t migrate outside the country. - 3300 individuals identified by the

MMRP (largest manta database) - National manta population estimated

to exceed 5-6000 individuals (largest

reef manta population of the world) What is special about the Maldives?



The Southwest monsoon

(Hulehangu) runs from May-Nov

The Maldives experiencestwo monsoons (seasons)

each year

The Northeast monsoon(Iruvai) runs from Dec-April

The atolls act as a barrierto oceanic currents,

creating nutrient upwellingas a result of wake eddiescaused by the Island Mass

Effect

This results in

productivity blooms onthe leeward, down

current, side of the atolls

7(.8# 9',&+ 1(+'((+

Seasonal manta

migrations



Hanifaru Bay A bay the size of a footballpitch which position and

morphology create the perfectconditions for mass feedingaggregations of manta rays.



Hanifaru Bay

The world’s best place to see massivefeeding aggregations of manta rays!

As many as 250 mantas rays & 4 whalesharks together in an area the size of a

football pitch



Hanifaru Bay



The Baa Atoll Project (BAP)

In 2008 a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) was signed byall 6 resorts in Baa Atoll and a Code

of Conduct (CoC) & site useguidelines were created by the BAP

In 2007 all of theAtoll’s resorts anddive operators came

together to form aconservation

consortium toprotect the marine

life of Baa Atoll



Hanifaru Development In 2007 plans were in themaking for Hanifaru to be

leased for privatedevelopment

In 2008 National GeographicMagazine photographer

Thomas Peschak came todocument the manta research

in the Maldives and shoot afeature story on the mantas of

Hanifaru Bay



The Power of Publicity

In July 2009 the National

Geographic magazine article waspublished and on World Ocean Day

one month before the articlespublication Hanifaru was declared

a Marine Protected Area by the

Maldivian Government

Pressure from NationalGeographic Magazine andthe Baa Atoll Project was

exerted upon the MaldivianGovernment



Tourism Frenzy at HanifaruMany thousands of tourists

come each year especially tosee the manta rays and whale

sharks

With the recent exposurethis site has gainedthrough the National

Geographic Magazine,BBC Natural World and

other documentaries andmagazine articles, tourism

levels at the site havedramatically risen

Hanifaru generated an estimatedUS$1,000,000 in direct revenuefor the Maldivian economy in

2010 & 2011



Studying tourism impact

Observed manta behaviours in response tohuman interactions at feeding aggregations (%) 0.50

32.19

2.462.46

62.41

ApproachAvoidance

Dive avoidance

Flight

No response

Based on over 400 human-manta interactions

• Accidental

obstruction • Chasing • Intention to touch/

contact •

Splash/Fin kick

• Diver bubbles • Diving under/near

Major causes ofdisturbance




Proportion of boats violating guidelineswhilst entering Hanifaru Bay

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Tourism levels at Hanifaru Bayfrom 2007-2010

Tourism levels were nearly three times higher at Hanifaru in2010 than they were in 2009 and continued to rise in 2011 This level of tourism was completely unsustainable! An

effective management plan to regulate this site was

therefore urgently needed



Management Plan In 2009-10 a management planwas created by the Maldivian

Ministry of Environment based onwork by MMRP & York MEM MSc

students In July 2011 the final management

plan was approved and turnedinto protective legislation, withenforcement by on-site rangers

from 2012 onwards In 2012 these laws were gazzetted

to allow prosecution for thosebreaking regulations with fines for

infringements



World Biosphere Reserve

In July 2011 the entirety of Baa Atoll was declared aUNESCO World Biosphere Reserve with HanifaruBay MPA a core zone within the reserve

In January 2012 SCUBAdiving was banned inside the

bay area of Hanifaru MPA"(8&: +.6;$- () '&)&-, ;(&8'< :,4$&;(&-=

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Biosphere Reserves havethree key functions:

conservation, learning andresearch, and sustainable

development



Framework for the FutureManagement of all Maldivian MPA’s

Baa Atoll: a world class model ofatoll ecosystem conservation where

sustainable use supports aprosperous economy and good

quality of life for all, for ever – forreplication across the Maldives!



Mission Accomplished? If Only It Was So Easy!

Hanifaru has travelled a long way along the road to sustainability, butthere are still some large potholes to avoid if this site it to become more

than just another paper park

Real Penalties for offenders: There must be commitment to penalizing thosebreaking the MPA regulations. Enforcement by rangers & patrol vessel: Real protection means active onsite

management especially controlling visitor numbers. Permit system to control tourist numbers: Financially huge potential in visitor

park entrance fees and/or boat permits to aid ongoing management. Financially Viable: The Biosphere Reserve and Hanifaru must generate enough

funding to pay for their protection. The local Baa Atoll community MUST benefit directly from the MPA’s:Jobs, increased income, education, etc.



Continued Research

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Vulnerable Giants

With each mature female producing just one pup approximately once every 6-7years, late maturity and giving birth to just a single pup, even small negative

pressures exerted upon a population, increasing mortality rates or reducingfecundity, are likely to have severe consequences for the population’s survival.

Understanding the life history of these species is critical for effective

conservation management, both within the Maldives and internationally,especially in light of the growing threats to these species as a result of fisheries

which target the manta’s gill plates to supply the medicinal trade in Asia.

This study also highlights the importance of long-term studies on species whichhave conservative life history strategies.

The canary on the reef! Indicator species - Ocean acidification, global

climate change, weakened south Asian monsoon.



Sustainable Solutions

“In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only whatwe understand [and] we will understand only what we are taught” -

Baba Dioum

Science is the tool which enables governments to make informed managementdecisions, but to truly conserve a species, or its habitat, there must first be the

desire to do so, the passion driven by empathy which arises from care,

understanding, and above all, knowledge.

Tourism has opened up many newopportunities to exploit and profit from our

oceans, which in turn can and should beused to protect them. And while tourism is

certainly less environmentally destructiveto our oceans than fishing, it none-the-less

still creates its own problems which needto be addressed.



The Manta Trustwww.mantatrust.org

Conservation through Research, Awareness and EducationUK Registered Charity Number: (1145387)

Our Vision: A world where manta rays thrive within a globally

healthy marine ecosystem. Our Mission: The Manta Trust works to advance the worldwide

conservation of manta rays and their habitat throughrobust science and research, raising awareness,

providing education, influence and action. Projects: Currently The Manta Trust has projects in the Maldives,

Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Hawaii,Philippines, Fiji, The Mariana Islands, Micronesia(FSM), Malaysia, Seychelles, Palau, Chagos,

Peru & The Line Islands.



#Thank You!

#####



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the case of hanifaru bay by niv froman

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