Dozens of manta rays are laid out on a beach in the blockaded Gaza Strip today as local Palestinian fishermen celebrate a mass catch of the endangered fish.
The rare fish flock to the Mediterranean waters off the coast of Gaza every year in March and April.
Fishing is a major commercial activity in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since 2007 when the Islamist Hamas terror group took over the territory.
Fisherman Bashir Shoueikh caught more than 10 of the rays, each weighing between 200 and 300 kg (440-660 pounds).
They sell for around 12 shekels ($3.30) per kilo.
“Each boat carries between 20 and 30 of these fish,” Shoueikh tells AFP. “People like them a lot.”
The two species of manta ray — manta alfredi and manta birostris — are both on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species due to their declining numbers.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 13, 2023
