A large number of manta rays appear in Lam Tsuen River, causing residents to worry about hunting

A large number of manta rays appeared in the Kai Lam Tsuen River opposite the Social Enterprise Hall on Tung Cheong Street, Tai Po yesterday. An angler at the scene shared the manta rays he caught with others, and one of them had its tail cut off on the spot. Neighbors revealed that the angler caught "two big and two small" fish. The angler claimed that he had lived in the area for more than ten years and had never seen a manta ray. Fishing was just for fun and he didn't know how to cook it, but he believed that "you won't die from what you eat."

Some denounced the arrester as unscrupulous and lamented that he was killed by "the wrong person"

Then someone arrived in a boat and within half an hour, six manta rays, about one to two feet in diameter, were caught with harpoons. Zhuang Dihua said that photos from the scene showed that one of the manta rays caught by an angler did not have a "partner" on its abdomen. It was female, had a thicker abdomen and back, or was pregnant.

Neighbor Mr. He criticized the people who caught manta rays as being "unscrupulous". He believed that manta rays were rare and they "swam in by mistake" and ended up being killed. Neighbor Ms. Lei said that she had never seen manta rays in Lam Tsuen River before, and asked the reporter, "Can it be eaten?" A man nearby immediately said, "It can be stewed."

Chong Diwa said that manta rays are very common in the waters of the Pearl River Estuary. The connection between the estuary and seawater forms "salty water". Seawater is heavier than fresh water and sinks to the bottom of the estuary. The manta rays that live on the bottom of the water can adapt to life in the relevant waters. Hong Kong is located in the brackish waters of the Pearl River Estuary, where fish, shrimp and crabs are abundant. The estuaries of Lam Tsuen River and Shing Mun River are the habitats of manta rays.

The Fishery Society predicts better water quality due to increased water flow

As for why manta rays surfaced yesterday, Zhuang estimated that heavy rains in the past few weeks have increased river flow and improved water quality. The fishing moratorium has just ended, and people have begun fishing at sea, which affects fish activities. At the same time, the sea area can "rest" during the fishing moratorium, and there are more fish. Manta rays may swim into the river mouth in search of food. He believes that the appearance of more manta rays in the estuary means an increase in the number of inhabited individuals. Hong Kong's policies such as banning trawling and setting up fishing moratoriums will also help the fish population recover. Seeing manta rays in the Lam Tsuen estuary "is a good thing".

Said to need protection, part of tail has venomous stinger

Chuang Diwa encouraged the public to go see manta rays and learn about the biodiversity of the estuary, but they must be careful not to feed them. He said that manta rays are cartilaginous fish and a type of shark. There are only about 1,280 species of sharks or rays left in the world. They are fish that need to be protected. If caught or caught, they should be released.

He said that some stingrays have venomous spines on their tails, which are as long and flat as a "spear" and have jagged barbs on the edges. Once they pierce the skin, they may open wounds, so it is not recommended for the public to catch them with bare hands.