Note on incidents of oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) fishing gear entanglements from the Maldives

This note highlights incidents of oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) entanglement in fishing gear from the Maldives. In 2023, 11.5% of oceanic manta ray sightings from the Maldives had entanglement injuries or were still entangled in fishing gear. Gear removed from entangled individuals suggests these oceanic manta rays are encountering foreign fishing fleets. We hope to use entanglement data to shed light on potential movements and migrations whilst satellite telemetry studies in the Maldives are still restricted.