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Speak of the devil ray (Mobula mobular) fishery in Gaza

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Abstract

Little is known about the giant devil ray (Mobula mobular), an endangered species endemic to the Mediterranean. Gaza is the only region where this species is targeted, hence, this fishery was studied to address the knowledge gap on fishery interactions, species behavior, and life-history traits. Devil rays have been frequenting this maritime area for at least the past 50 years for a short window from February to April. Landings are reported from 2005 to 2016, along with disc-width (DW) measurements for recent years. A total of 304 M. mobular (over 90% males) were landed in Gaza from 2014 to 2016, most which were mature and appeared to be mating (over 90% of males had sperm-filled claspers), providing critical insight that this area may serve as a mating ground. Yearly landings are shown here to closely match the allowed fishing distance from shore, which changes regularly, indicating that the rays are normally caught between 6 and 12 n.m. offshore. Width-weight conversion parameters are calculated for the first time for this species: a = 2.68 × 10−6 and b = 4.39. Fresh protein drives this local fishery, as food security is a major issue. An export market for gill plates was reported intermittently, and is no longer possible due to strict trade restrictions. We highlight the lack of awareness of fishers regarding the IUCN’s Red List ‘Endangered’ status of devil rays, and stress the urgent need for national protection of this species, particularly due to the species’ very slow life-history traits and probable usage of this area as a mating ground.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Save Our Seas Foundation for funding this study from 2013 to 2014 and the MAVA Foundation for funding the study from 2015 to 2016.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Centre, Gaza City, Palestine

    Mohammed Abudaya

  2. Sea Around Us, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Aylin Ulman

  3. Directorate of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaza City, Palestine

    Jehad Salah

  4. The Manta Trust, Dorchester, UK

    Daniel Fernando

  5. Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden

    Daniel Fernando

  6. Blue Resources Trust, 86 Barnes Place, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Daniel Fernando

  7. Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Catarina Wor

  8. Tethys Research Institute, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121, Milan, Italy

    Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara

Authors
  1. Mohammed Abudaya
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  2. Aylin Ulman
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  3. Jehad Salah
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  4. Daniel Fernando
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  5. Catarina Wor
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  6. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mohammed Abudaya or Aylin Ulman.

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Abudaya, M., Ulman, A., Salah, J. et al. Speak of the devil ray (Mobula mobular) fishery in Gaza. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 28, 229–239 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-017-9491-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-017-9491-0

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