RESUMEN
Stingray populations in the Colombian Pacific are being decimated to the point of extinction. The giant stingray (Mobula birostris) has become a target for small-scale Emberá indigenous fishermen. Poaching of marine rays off the Colombian Pacific coast continues unabated, but today, instead of traveling with nets, poachers simply buy live rays stored by local fishermen (Emberá indigenous people) who hide them on remote islands or in mangrove creeks. Since rays need to breathe, poachers keep them in rectangular cages built locally from floating drums and wood, with nets suspended in the center, or tied or chained directly to coral in shallow waters. The costs and resources required to inspect this vast area are prohibitive for local security agencies and logistically complex. Through this plan, we seek the comprehensive protection of the giant ray by strengthening the conservation capacities of the Emberá indigenous community, with strategies for conservation, education, sustainability, and communication.
The end result will be an improvement in the conservation status of the target ray species through population growth and the mitigation of threats they face on the Colombian Pacific coast.
Key words: Ray populations, Colombian Pacific coast, protected marina area, Emberá indigenous community.
