The Giant Devil Ray (Mobula mobular) is on the to the IUCN’s red list of endangered species, and if something is not done this beautiful animal could be lost to future generations. 

Original page:http://memoiresdeplongeurs.free.fr/diable.html

The Giant Devil Ray’s numbers have decreased for a variety of reasons.  One of which is they get unintentional caught in nets intended for other fish.  They are killed by the nets or sometimes in a senseless way by ignorant fisherman who kill and throw them overboard.  The Giant Devil Ray has also been affected by industrialization, although the extent of the damage is unknown.  Another factor that has contributed to the drop in the Giant Manta Ray’s numbers is that they do not reproduce quickly.  Their long gestation periods and low birth numbers of only one or two pups make it difficult for them to quickly expand their numbers.  The General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean have taking steps to help both the Giant Devil Ray and sharks by banning fisheries below 1,000 meters and driftnets, but more needs to be done.  Law needs to be passed to limit the number of rays that can be caught, and fisherman need to be educated on the value of releasing Devil Rays that are unintentionally caught.  With education and some strict laws the Giant Devil Ray and other endangered species can be saved.