Manta Camera in Kona Hawaii
State of Hawaii Legislature
Dear House of Representatives,
The Manta Network, its Manta Science Advisory Board and the more than 1,000 members worldwide would like to submit our support for House Bill 366.
The Manta Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to research, education, conservation and protection of manta and mobula rays worldwide. TMN includes most of the world’s manta biologists, research affiliates in more than 40 countries and volunteers and supporters around the world. Manta Network’s Science Advisory Board includes Dr. Bob Rubin, Dr. Heidi Dewar, Dr. Ellen Freund, Tim Clark, M.S. and Robert Aston, M.S.
HB366 would make it illegal to capture or kill manta rays in Hawaii. No fishery has ever existed in Hawaii. However, aquariums are now targeting Hawaii as a location where they can capture manta rays for husbandry experiments and for display in tanks. Without legislative protection, these aquariums would be able to take as many individuals from the population as they want, and not have to report on the fate of the individuals they take.
Hawaii has a healthy population of manta rays, but information on the life history and movement rates suggest that they would be highly susceptible to over fishing. If we are going to protect manta rays in Hawaii, we need to do it now before fishing starts.
Kona is one of the best locations around the world to see manta rays in the wild. Manta rays are observed on 80% of the dives at Garden Eel Cove each year. Each year, manta ray ecotourism generates over 2.5 million dollars in revenue for the state of Hawaii. The economic benefit in tourism depends on a healthy population of live manta rays in Hawaii.
Manta rays do not have to be in aquarium for researchers to learn more about them. Hawaii is a perfect location for researchers to study manta rays in the wild. In addition, with today’s Internet technologies, it is now possible to maintain live video cameras to provide real-time manta encounters directly to aquarium exhibits. The MantaCam, as develop by Ocean Presence Technologies, is now being deployed at manta cleaning stations in the Pacific Ocean. This approach is not only more cost-effective than husbandry but also has no negative impacts on the species.
There is currently no protection for manta rays from any type of fishing, collection, or capture in Hawaii. They are worth much more to Hawaii alive and swimming in the Hawaiian waters.
The Manta Network, its advisors and members urge your legislative body to pass HB366!
Signed respectively yours and on behalf of the Manta Science Advisory Board,
Robert Aston
Executive Director
The Manta Network
Email: Robert@mantas.org
Office: 831-426-4400
Headquarters:
326 Pacheco Ave.
Santa Cruz, California 95062
USA
Web Address: www.Save-the-Mantas.org
Also see: www.OceanPresence.com
Manta Science Advisory Board
Dr. Bob Rubin
Dr. Heidi Dewar,
Dr. Ellen Freund
Tim Clark, M.S.
Robert Aston, M.S.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!
The first bill (HB366) is being heard in the House on Monday, but testimony needs to be submitted by Sunday February 1st at 9AM to be heard in this session. It is critical that the House knows your feelings on this matter. It is fairly easy to submit testimony on the web at www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony. Please tell the representatives about your personal experiences with manta rays and why you think they deserve protection in Hawaii.
Tags: manta birostris, manta conservation, manta protection, manta ray, manta research, manta scientists, mobula rays, mobulas
Just in from Tim Clark:
Dear Fellow Manta Researchers,
Thanks for your support with the manta ray bills. HB366 just passed the Water, Land, and Ocean committee yesterday. Now it is going to the Judiciary committee. I appreciate your testimony on that bill.
We also have another bill in the senate. SB394 has not been scheduled for hearing yet, but we will need just as much testimony for that bill. If you haven’t sent it in yet, you can used the same site to submit testimony for both bills:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/
It was great hearing them read off all the names of people who submitted testimony in support. The only one testifying against the bill was my advisor, which was not unexpected. Please continue to spread the word about these bills. I am hoping we can double the testimony by the time the senate bill comes up!
Here is the original press release from Manta Pacific Research Foundation:
PRESS RELEASE
Manta Ray Protection Bills Introduced into the Hawaiian House and Senate – Testimony needed ASAP
Honolulu, HAWAII – January 29, 2009
Two bills have been introduced into the Hawaiian Legislature for manta ray protection in the state – one each in the House and the Sentate. House Bill 366, stating that "no person shall knowingly capture or kill a manta ray within state marine waters", was introduced on Friday by Representatives Denny Coffman and Hermina Morita and was also signed by 9 more representatives. Senate Bill 394, using the same language, was introduced by Kona Senator Josh Green and Senator Mike Gabbard.
While manta rays have been fished for years in Indonesia, Baja, the Philippines, Africa and throughout Asia, no fishery has ever existed in Hawaii. Hawaii has a healthy population of manta rays, but information on the life history and movement rate show that they would be highly susceptible to over fishing. Hawaii has now been targeted by aquarium as a location where they can capture manta rays for husbandry experiments and display in tanks. Without legislative protection, these aquariums will be able to take as many individuals from the population as they want without having to report on the fate of the individuals they take.
There is currently no legal protection for manta rays in the state.
HB366 is already scheduled to be heard by the Committee on Water, Land, and Ocean Resources on Monday February 2, 2009 at 9:00am.
MPRF requests you send testimony!
Your help is greatly needed to help protect manta rays in Hawaii. Please send testimony supporting HB366 and SB394 to our Representatives. Protocol requires that testimony for HB366 be submitted 24 hours prior to the hearing. Since the hearing is on Monday, to reach our Representatives in time, it should be submitted by 9:00am HST Friday January 30, 2009. (Further note: we have since learned that testimony can be submitted until Sunday February 1, 2009 at 9:00am HST)
You can submit via paper, fax, or the web. To submit via:
PAPER: send copies (including original) to Room 438 in the State Capitol;
FAX: For comments less than 5 pages in length, transmit to 586-8504 (Oahu) or 1-800-535-3859 (Neighbor Islands)
WEB: For comments less than 4MB in size, transmit through the webpage at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony
Links to More Information
Text of HB366
Text of SB394
Legislature Bill Status and Documents
WLO Hearing Agenda
About
Manta Pacific Research Foundation
Manta Pacific
Research Foundation’s 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 manta ray conservation.
For more information, go to http://www.mantapacific.org,
or write to Manta Pacific Research Foundation, P.O. Box 3227 Kailua-Kona,
HI 96745-3227 or email us at info@mantapacific.org.
Manta Pacific Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
-End-
March 10, 2009
The Manta Bill has passed the House, moving to the Senate!!!
Aloha,
I wanted to thank everyone for their hard work and letters of testimony supporting the manta bill (HB366). The House just voted to pass the bill with no one opposed, which means it will now continue its journey in the Senate!
While this is a huge milestone for the mantas rays, the bill still has to pass committee hearings in the Senate. Please continue your pressure on the legislature to keep the bill moving. If you haven’t sent in testimony yet, please send it to testimony@mantapacific.org and we will submit it for you in each of the hearings. If you want to submit testimony directly, you will need to wait till the next committee decides to hear it and then submit it at: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/
The status and text of the bill can be found at:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=366
Mahalo,
Tim Clark
Zoology Department
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 226-1853
Hawaii is a dream destination for many people from around the world. These creatures made hawaii a great place…