Authorities urged to protect rare Bull rays
The authorities have been urged to offer protection for the Bull ray 'flying fish', whose number is declining.
Nature Trust - FEE Malta and Sharklab Malta said that as is the case with many other species in the Mediterranean,the Bull ray risks becoming extinct.
It is currently listed as data deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list, which means it is so rare for people to see that there is no data on it.
Bull rays have a diamond-shaped outline and resemble the Eagle ray but have blue stripes across their back. They fly through the water, skimming the bottom, moving their wings like a bird.
Sharklab recorded the first sighting of a Bull ray in Maltese waters less than 10 years ago and is a founder of an international research project.
Very little is known about Bull rays but this project is identifying and cataloguing Bull ray sightings in Malta, the Azores, Canary Islands, South Africa and Portugal, with more countries joining the project each year. The project identifies individuals using the blue striped markings on their dorsal surface. This project is funded by National Geographic and the Oceanario de Lisboa.
“We believe that Malta...