Fishing and trade of devil rays (<i>Mobula</i> spp.) in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh: Insights from fishers’ knowledge

Abstract Devil rays ( Mobula spp.) are globally threatened cartilaginous fishes that have attracted global conservation concern owing to their high extinction risk and lack of protection in many countries. Limited resources and data on threatened marine species, including devil rays, impede conservation actions, particularly in developing countries, many of which have high biodiversity. Devil ray catch is a component of artisanal fisheries in Bangladesh, but data on their fisheries and trade are limited. To characterize devil ray fishing practices, fishers’ perception and trade, 230 fishers and traders were interviewed between 4 June 2018 and 22 June 2019, in four areas of south‐east Bangladesh. Catch data were also opportunistically collected at landing sites. Six devil ray species were documented, caught…