Mantas and Cameras - How to Lose and then Re-Acquire a $5000 Rig

For some underwater shooters Canon 5D Mark II luck is all in the cephalic lobes:

Brian Darvell - Sounding The Alarm

We have come to respect and appreciate Brian Darvells "on the ground" reports of continuing Asian demand for sharks. This week he added a comment to Goblin Girls post that was shocking in it's detail.

Mantas are in trouble. Here's his first person report:

The Chinese slaughter mantas in their thousands for their gill rakers for use in traditional 'medicine'.

The largest Chinese medicine market in China, in Guangzhou - a whole block of shops on three floors of the most amazing things. These included literally tonnes of dried seahorses - shops-full at a time, and similarly manta gills, 10s of thousands that I saw - boxes piled high.

This is NOT a small, subsistence market, by any means. It is a massive, commercial operation that somehow has evaded notice. It can be added to the foul practices of using bear bile, tiger bone, seahorses etc etc for the magical, culturally-sanctioned, devastation of wildlife of all kinds. If it moves - eat it.

It is about time that the centrality of Chinese activity in these matters was addressed properly, instead of pussyfooting around trying not to offend. Culture or long tradition is no longer an acceptable defence for anything, anywhere, now where commercial exploitation is involved. True subsistence use is hard to find, and altogether negligible in impact.

The Manta Network-Redux

This came in the mail today, thought we would pass it on:

As a leading dive industry member, I am sure you share my concern for the oceans and all their inhabitants. Not only do we depend on the ocean for our survival, but your livelihood is directly linked to its health. Its protection should be a primary concern of all those that enjoy its beauty, especially those in the dive industry.

The Manta Network was founded with a goal to engage the dive industry in the conservation and protection of manta and mobula rays. We invite you to become part of our Dive Industry Advocacy program. Your participation will have a significant impact on the protection of one of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures.

If you would like to become a dive industry manta advocate please respond to this email or register online by selecting “Industry Advocate below.”

We will send you a special package that will include information on how you and your staff can help. In the kit you will also find a counter display with literature to give to your customers. Please make sure you send your mailing address so we can quickly mail your kit.

You can start today by printing and displaying our announcement about our April manta expedition to Panama. See attachment.

We look forward to your support of our efforts to learn more about and to protect the remaining manta and mobula rays before it is too late. It would be a great pity if future generations of divers could not share our excitement about diving with the magnificent manta rays.

Yours truly,

Diane Wells
Dive Industry Liaison

P.S. Please take the time to respond today as this will be the only request we will send.

Register Online: [Industry Advocate]

Also see: [Panama Manta Expedition, April 5-11, 2008]