Ecocare concerned about implementation of ray protection regulations
09 Jun 2014, 5:41 PM
Mariyath Mohamed
Environmental NGO Ecocare has expressed concerns about the implementation of government regulations to protect all species of rays, citing a lack of enforcement mechanisms.
“While we welcome the government’s decision to protect rays, we have to say that simply ‘protecting’ it via a regulation is not sufficient,” said Spokesperson Maeed Mohamed Zahir.
“For example, turtles and sharks are also protected as per official records. However, the reality is that they are still hunted even today. Turtle and shark meat are widely available in some atolls as a delicacy. There is no point in announcing regulations if it cannot be enforced,” continued Zahir.
The Maldivian Manta Ray Project, the Manta Trust, and Save Our Seas Foundation released a statement on June 5 announcing that the Maldives government has officially added all species of ray to its protected species list.
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