蝠鲼因其鳃耙、软骨和皮具有极高的价值而日益受到野生动植物交易的威胁。

巴西、哥伦比亚和厄瓜多尔准备在3月3日至14日于曼谷举行的《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》（Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora，CITES）会议上提出将蝠鲼（Manta Ray）列为公约保护对象的提案，美国对此表示大力支持。

最初于1973年由80个国家和地区代表签署的《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》现在共有177个签约国。该公约旨在确保额度高达数十亿美元的国际野生动植物交易所涉及的动植物物种的生存。

据美国鱼类和野生生物管理局（US Fish and Wildlife Service）介绍，蝠鲼是生活在全球热带水域中的“生长缓慢、体型巨大、种群规模较小且高度分散的迁徙动物”。它们通常每两到三年才繁殖一条仔鱼。

蝠鲼的鳃耙具有极高的传统药用价值，软骨和皮也被用于国际交易。蝠鲼的肉可用作诱饵，而且蝠鲼常常成为渔场的副渔捕获物。

Highly prized for their gill plates, cartilage and skin, manta rays are increasingly threatened by wildlife trade.

The United States is strongly supporting a proposal by Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador to protect manta rays under the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at the convention’s next scheduled meeting in Bangkok March 3–14.

CITES, originally signed by representatives of 80 countries in 1973, now boasts 177 signatories. It aims to ensure the survival of animal and plant species involved in the multibillion-dollar international wildlife trade.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manta rays are “slow-growing, large-bodied migratory animals with small, highly fragmented populations” that can be found in tropical waters across the world. They typically give birth to only one pup every two to three years.

Their gill plates are highly prized for use in traditional medicine, and their cartilage and skins are also traded internationally. Their meat is used for bait, and they are often caught by fisheries targeting other species.