# Shark finning in Indonesia: fin trade, protected sharks and rays

> Whale sharks and manta rays are fully protected in Indonesia and on CITES Appendix I since March 2026. Shark fin trade, finning rules, ethical tourism.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/shark-finning-indonesia/ · Updated 1 October 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/isu-satwa/hiu-dilindungi/
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## Quick answer

Indonesia has fully protected the whale shark since 2013 (Decree 18/2013) and manta rays since 2014 (Decree 4/2014), including fins, gill plates and other body parts; since 5 March 2026 both have also been on CITES Appendix I, which bans their commercial international trade. Hammerhead, tiger and reef sharks are not listed in the P.106/2018 annex or in Decree 66/2025, but using or exporting species on CITES Appendix II requires permits and quotas. Indonesia is one of the world's largest catchers of sharks and rays, so what consumers, divers and tourists choose matters.

- **Whale shark fully protected since:** 20 May 2013 (Decree 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013) ([Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Hiu Paus (Rhincodon typus), JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2013kepmenkp018_1706601533.pdf))
- **Manta rays fully protected since:** 27 January 2014 (Decree 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014), oceanic and reef mantas ([Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf))
- **On CITES Appendix I since 5 March 2026:** Whale shark, oceanic whitetip shark, and all manta and devil rays ([U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf))
- **Indonesia's shark and ray catch:** World's largest since 1998; average 106,034 tonnes a year (2000–2011, FAO) ([FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf))
- **Sharks killed by fishing worldwide:** About 80 million in 2019, about 25 million of them threatened species ([Worm B. et al. (2024) Global shark fishing mortality still rising despite widespread regulatory change. Science 383](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adf8984))
- **Whale shark strandings in Indonesia:** 115 events, 127 animals, in 23 provinces (2011–2023) ([Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3))
- **IUCN status of the scalloped hammerhead:** Critically Endangered (assessed 2018) ([IUCN Red List — Sphyrna lewini (assessed 2018)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39385/2918526))
- **Value of shark and ray tourism in Indonesia:** About US$22 million in tourist spending a year (2017) ([Mustika P.L.K., Ichsan M. & Booth H. (2020) The economic value of shark and ray tourism in Indonesia and its role in delivering conservation outcomes. Frontiers in Marine Science 7](https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00261))

## Are sharks protected in Indonesia? Which sharks and rays are protected

Indonesia protects sharks and rays species by species. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) has been fully protected under Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministerial Decree (Kepmen KP) 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 since 20 May 2013, and the oceanic and reef mantas (Manta birostris and Manta alfredi, now in the genus Mobula) under Kepmen KP 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 since 27 January 2014. Both decrees cover every life stage and body part, including fins and gill plates; only research and development is exempt.

Kepmen KP 66/2025 on protected fish species (29 October 2025) revoked Decree 1/2021 and lists, among others, four sawfishes, three freshwater stingrays and the Kai stingaree, covering every life stage, body part and derived product. The annex of Environment and Forestry Regulation P.106/2018 also lists these freshwater stingrays, the Kai stingaree and the sawfishes. None of the eight species on this page is listed in the P.106/2018 annex; the whale shark's and mantas' protection comes from the fisheries decrees.

The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), blacktip and whitetip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus, Triaenodon obesus) and bluespotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma) are not listed in the P.106/2018 annex or in Decree 66/2025. Some regions go further: Berau Regency's Regional Regulation 16/2019 lists the whale shark, whitetip reef shark and reef manta as protected, and South Sumatra's Governor Regulation 27/2015 bans eating, catching and trading species including the oceanic whitetip, three hammerheads, the whale shark and mantas.

Komodo National Park and its surroundings banned manta fishing in 2013, a year before national protection, and Raja Ampat protects the reef manta under both regional and national rules.

Evidence: [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Hiu Paus (Rhincodon typus), JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2013kepmenkp018_1706601533.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Hiu Paus (Rhincodon typus), JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2013kepmenkp018_1706601533.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf) · [IUCN Red List — Mobula birostris (assessed 2019, published 2022)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/198921/214397182) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran (JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran (JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Peraturan Daerah Kabupaten Berau Nomor 16 Tahun 2019 tentang Perlindungan Ikan Hiu, Pari Manta, Jenis Ikan Tertentu dan Terumbu Karang, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/169952/perda-kab-berau-no-16-tahun-2019) · [Peraturan Daerah Kabupaten Berau Nomor 16 Tahun 2019 tentang Perlindungan Ikan Hiu, Pari Manta, Jenis Ikan Tertentu dan Terumbu Karang, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/169952/perda-kab-berau-no-16-tahun-2019) · [Peraturan Daerah Kabupaten Berau Nomor 16 Tahun 2019 tentang Perlindungan Ikan Hiu, Pari Manta, Jenis Ikan Tertentu dan Terumbu Karang, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/169952/perda-kab-berau-no-16-tahun-2019) · [Peraturan Gubernur Sumatera Selatan Nomor 27 Tahun 2015 tentang Larangan Mengkonsumsi, Menangkap dan Memperjualbelikan Ikan Hiu, Ikan Pari Manta, dan/atau Produk Olahannya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/35971/pergub-prov-sumatera-selatan-no-27-tahun-2015) · [Peraturan Gubernur Sumatera Selatan Nomor 27 Tahun 2015 tentang Larangan Mengkonsumsi, Menangkap dan Memperjualbelikan Ikan Hiu, Ikan Pari Manta, dan/atau Produk Olahannya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/35971/pergub-prov-sumatera-selatan-no-27-tahun-2015) · [Peraturan Gubernur Sumatera Selatan Nomor 27 Tahun 2015 tentang Larangan Mengkonsumsi, Menangkap dan Memperjualbelikan Ikan Hiu, Ikan Pari Manta, dan/atau Produk Olahannya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/35971/pergub-prov-sumatera-selatan-no-27-tahun-2015) · [Germanov E.S. et al. (2022) Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ 10:e13302](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302) · [Setyawan E. et al. (2024) Spatial connectivity of reef manta rays across the Raja Ampat archipelago, Indonesia. Royal Society Open Science 11](https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230895)

## What is shark fin used for, and is shark fin legal in Indonesia?

Shark fin is traded mainly for shark fin soup, a key driver of fin demand in Asia. Because fins are worth far more than meat, some fishers cut off the fins and threw the shark back, alive or dead; this is finning. FAO describes Indonesia as a producer and exporter of raw material, mostly dried, unprocessed fins.

In its 2020 report to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), Indonesia said it prohibits finning under regulations 12/PERMEN-KP/2012 and 30/PERMEN-KP/2012: sharks and rays must be landed whole, with fins attached. Using protected or CITES-listed fish requires a utilisation permit (SIPJI) and a transport document (SAJI) under Regulation 61/PERMEN-KP/2018. Whale shark and manta fins, meat and gill plates may not be traded at all.

Export rules have also changed over time. Regulation 5/PERMEN-KP/2018 banned taking oceanic whitetip sharks, three hammerhead species and their products out of Indonesia until 31 December 2018. Since 5 March 2026 the oceanic whitetip, the whale shark and all manta and devil rays have been on CITES Appendix I, which closes their commercial international trade.

Buyers cannot tell which species a processed fin came from: DNA tests on dried fins in Singapore, a major trading hub, found threatened and CITES Appendix II species, all sold simply as "shark fin". The safest choice is not to buy shark fin or ray gill plates at all.

Evidence: [Choy C. & Wainwright B.J. (2022) What is in your shark fin soup? Probably an endangered shark species and a bit of mercury. Animals 12:802](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070802) · [FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf) · [FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf) · [FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf) · [Indonesia — National Report to the IOTC Scientific Committee 2020 (IOTC-2020-SC23-NR07)](https://iotc.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/11/IOTC-2020-SC23-NR07_-_Indonesia.pdf) · [Indonesia — National Report to the IOTC Scientific Committee 2020 (IOTC-2020-SC23-NR07)](https://iotc.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/11/IOTC-2020-SC23-NR07_-_Indonesia.pdf) · [Peraturan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 61/PERMEN-KP/2018 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi dan/atau Jenis Ikan yang Tercantum dalam Appendiks CITES, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/159062/permen-kkp-no-61permen-kp2018-tahun-2018) · [Peraturan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 61/PERMEN-KP/2018 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi dan/atau Jenis Ikan yang Tercantum dalam Appendiks CITES, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/159062/permen-kkp-no-61permen-kp2018-tahun-2018) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Hiu Paus (Rhincodon typus), JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2013kepmenkp018_1706601533.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [Peraturan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 5/PERMEN-KP/2018 tentang Larangan Pengeluaran Ikan Hiu Koboi dan Hiu Martil, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/158946/permen-kkp-no-5permen-kp2018-tahun-2018) · [Peraturan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 5/PERMEN-KP/2018 tentang Larangan Pengeluaran Ikan Hiu Koboi dan Hiu Martil, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/158946/permen-kkp-no-5permen-kp2018-tahun-2018) · [Down To Earth — CITES CoP20: Global South drives critical changes and shapes global wildlife trade policies (9 December 2025)](https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/cites-cop20-global-south-drives-critical-changes-and-shapes-global-wildlife-trade-policies) · [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf) · [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf) · [Shen K.-L.S. et al. (2024) DNA barcoding continues to identify endangered species of shark sold as food in a globally significant shark fin trade hub. PeerJ 12:e16647](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16647) · [Shen K.-L.S. et al. (2024) DNA barcoding continues to identify endangered species of shark sold as food in a globally significant shark fin trade hub. PeerJ 12:e16647](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16647)

## How many sharks and rays does Indonesia catch?

According to FAO, Indonesia has been the world's largest producer of cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays and their relatives) since 1998, landing an average of 106,034 tonnes a year in 2000–2011. Once the statistics were split by species group in 2005, an average of 42,219 tonnes a year (2005–2011) turned out to be rays. Over the same period Indonesia recorded average fin exports of 1,235 tonnes a year.

In April 2021 the fisheries ministry (KKP) put Indonesia's shark and ray catch at 12.31 per cent of the world total, or 88,790 tonnes a year, and counted 117 shark species in its waters. A 2025 study concluded that Indonesia catches more sharks and rays than any other nation, with over 90 per cent of its fleet small-scale and mostly using unselective nets and lines.

Worldwide, shark deaths from fishing rose from at least 76 million to 80 million a year between 2012 and 2019, about 25 million of them threatened species, and finning bans did not reduce that toll. Oceanic sharks and rays have declined by 71 per cent since 1970, and over a third of all sharks, rays and chimaeras are estimated to be threatened, mainly by overfishing.

Sharks and rays recover slowly because they breed slowly. Whale sharks usually mature at around 25 years old. Oceanic manta rays mature at 8–10 years, are pregnant for 12–13 months and give birth to a single pup every 2–5 years.

Evidence: [FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf) · [FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf) · [FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf) · [Kompas.com — Hiu dan Pari Terancam Punah, KKP Upayakan Kelola Sumber Daya Perikanan (8 April 2021)](https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/04/08/16485961/hiu-dan-pari-terancam-punah-kkp-upayakan-kelola-sumber-daya-perikanan?page=all) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Populasi Turun Drastis, KKP Terbitkan RAN Konservasi Hiu (12 April 2021)](https://mongabay.co.id/2021/04/12/populasi-turun-drastis-kkp-terbitkan-ran-konservasi-hiu/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Populasi Turun Drastis, KKP Terbitkan RAN Konservasi Hiu (12 April 2021)](https://mongabay.co.id/2021/04/12/populasi-turun-drastis-kkp-terbitkan-ran-konservasi-hiu/) · [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan — KKP Tetapkan Rencana Aksi Nasional Konservasi Hiu Paus (11 April 2021)](https://kkp.go.id/djprl/kkp-tetapkan-rencana-aksi-nasional-konservasi-hiu-paus65c2f1eb6dd23/detail.html) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000) · [Worm B. et al. (2024) Global shark fishing mortality still rising despite widespread regulatory change. Science 383](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adf8984) · [Worm B. et al. (2024) Global shark fishing mortality still rising despite widespread regulatory change. Science 383](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adf8984) · [Pacoureau N. et al. (2021) Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays. Nature 589](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-03173-9) · [Dulvy N.K. et al. (2021) Overfishing drives over one-third of all sharks and rays toward a global extinction crisis. Current Biology 31](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.062) · [Dulvy N.K. et al. (2021) Overfishing drives over one-third of all sharks and rays toward a global extinction crisis. Current Biology 31](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.062) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Hiu Paus (Rhincodon typus), JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2013kepmenkp018_1706601533.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf)

## Why are manta rays hunted and protected? The gill plate trade

Manta and devil ray gill plates, the filters they use to strain food, are sold for a tonic claimed to boost immunity and prevent illness. Traditional medicine practitioners interviewed in Guangzhou and Singapore said the product has no health benefits, and toxicology studies point to risks from its heavy metals. Gill plate demand is described as the biggest contributor to manta declines worldwide.

In the 1990s and early 2000s manta rays were heavily fished in Indonesia, then one of the top five mobulid fishing nations. A 2026 global assessment estimated that about 264,520 manta and devil rays are caught every year and placed Indonesia among the highest-risk hotspots; mortality is higher in countries that export gill plates.

Decree 4/2014 gave mantas full protection because their populations were declining. The IUCN Red List classes the oceanic manta as Endangered and the reef manta as Vulnerable, both with decreasing populations. Since 5 March 2026 the whole family Mobulidae has also been on CITES Appendix I.

Living mantas are worth more: manta watching worldwide was estimated to bring a direct economic impact of US$140 million a year, with Indonesia among the top ten countries, and shark and ray tourists spent an estimated US$22 million in Indonesia in 2017, 1.45 times the value of its annual shark exports.

Evidence: [Lawson J.M. et al. (2017) Sympathy for the devil: a conservation strategy for devil and manta rays. PeerJ 5:e3027](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3027) · [Lawson J.M. et al. (2017) Sympathy for the devil: a conservation strategy for devil and manta rays. PeerJ 5:e3027](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3027) · [Lawson J.M. et al. (2017) Sympathy for the devil: a conservation strategy for devil and manta rays. PeerJ 5:e3027](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3027) · [Germanov E.S. et al. (2022) Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ 10:e13302](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302) · [Germanov E.S. et al. (2022) Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ 10:e13302](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302) · [Laglbauer B.J.L. et al. (2026) Global manta and devil ray population declines: closing policy and management gaps to reduce fisheries mortality. Biological Conservation 313](https://europepmc.org/article/AGR/IND609384361) · [Laglbauer B.J.L. et al. (2026) Global manta and devil ray population declines: closing policy and management gaps to reduce fisheries mortality. Biological Conservation 313](https://europepmc.org/article/AGR/IND609384361) · [Laglbauer B.J.L. et al. (2026) Global manta and devil ray population declines: closing policy and management gaps to reduce fisheries mortality. Biological Conservation 313](https://europepmc.org/article/AGR/IND609384361) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf) · [IUCN Red List — Mobula birostris (assessed 2019, published 2022)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/198921/214397182) · [IUCN Red List — Mobula alfredi (assessed 2018, published 2022)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/195459/214395983) · [IUCN Red List — Mobula alfredi (assessed 2018, published 2022)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/195459/214395983) · [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf) · [O'Malley M.P., Lee-Brooks K. & Medd H.B. (2013) The global economic impact of manta ray watching tourism. PLoS ONE 8](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0065051) · [O'Malley M.P., Lee-Brooks K. & Medd H.B. (2013) The global economic impact of manta ray watching tourism. PLoS ONE 8](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0065051) · [Mustika P.L.K., Ichsan M. & Booth H. (2020) The economic value of shark and ray tourism in Indonesia and its role in delivering conservation outcomes. Frontiers in Marine Science 7](https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00261) · [Mustika P.L.K., Ichsan M. & Booth H. (2020) The economic value of shark and ray tourism in Indonesia and its role in delivering conservation outcomes. Frontiers in Marine Science 7](https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00261)

## Which sharks and rays are on the CITES Appendices and the IUCN Red List?

Indonesia ratified CITES by Presidential Decree 43/1978, and KKP is the management authority for fish. Hammerheads, the oceanic whitetip and manta rays joined Appendix II at CoP16 in March 2013 (in effect after an 18-month delay), the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) at CoP17 in October 2016, and the whole requiem shark family (Carcharhinidae), including blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, at CoP19 in November 2022.

CoP20 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (24 November–5 December 2025) moved the oceanic whitetip, all manta and devil rays and the whale shark to Appendix I from 5 March 2026, and set a zero export quota for wild-caught wedgefishes (Rhinidae) and giant guitarfishes (Glaucostegus) traded commercially. Indonesia entered a reservation on that quota on 12 January 2026, valid until 5 December 2027; KKP says exports can then go only to non-CITES countries or countries with the same reservation.

On the IUCN Red List, the whale shark is Endangered (reassessed in 2025), the oceanic manta Endangered, the reef manta Vulnerable and the scalloped hammerhead Critically Endangered. The tiger shark is Near Threatened, the blacktip and whitetip reef sharks are Vulnerable, and the bluespotted ribbontail ray is Least Concern with an increasing population.

Evidence: [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Hiu Paus (Rhincodon typus), JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2013kepmenkp018_1706601533.pdf) · [Peraturan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 61/PERMEN-KP/2018 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi dan/atau Jenis Ikan yang Tercantum dalam Appendiks CITES, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/159062/permen-kkp-no-61permen-kp2018-tahun-2018) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC & CITES Secretariat) — Sphyrna lewini: CITES listings](https://speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/6544/legal) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC & CITES Secretariat) — Carcharhinus longimanus: CITES listings](https://speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/3712/legal) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC & CITES Secretariat) — Mobula birostris: CITES listings](https://speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/101410/legal) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC & CITES Secretariat) — Carcharhinus falciformis: CITES listings](https://speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/67979/legal) · [KKP Direktorat Konservasi Spesies dan Genetik — Laporan Kinerja Triwulan I Tahun 2026](https://kkp.go.id/download-pdf-akuntabilitas-kinerja/akuntabilitas-kinerja-pelaporan-kinerja-laporan-kinerja-direktorat-spesies-dan-genetik-triwulan-i-tahun-2026.pdf) · [KKP Direktorat Konservasi Spesies dan Genetik — Laporan Kinerja Triwulan I Tahun 2026](https://kkp.go.id/download-pdf-akuntabilitas-kinerja/akuntabilitas-kinerja-pelaporan-kinerja-laporan-kinerja-direktorat-spesies-dan-genetik-triwulan-i-tahun-2026.pdf) · [KKP Direktorat Konservasi Spesies dan Genetik — Laporan Kinerja Triwulan I Tahun 2026](https://kkp.go.id/download-pdf-akuntabilitas-kinerja/akuntabilitas-kinerja-pelaporan-kinerja-laporan-kinerja-direktorat-spesies-dan-genetik-triwulan-i-tahun-2026.pdf) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC & CITES Secretariat) — Carcharhinus melanopterus: CITES listings](https://speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/100364/legal) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC & CITES Secretariat) — Triaenodon obesus: CITES listings](https://speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/101300/legal) · [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf) · [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf) · [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf) · [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — Public Bulletin PB 26-001: CITES CoP20 Amendments to Appendices I and II (13 January 2026)](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/ole-public-bulletin-cites-cop20-amendments-to-appendices-i-and-ii-pb-26-001-01_13_2026.pdf) · [KKP, Loka Pengelolaan Kelautan Pekanbaru — Rapat Koordinasi Tindak Lanjut COP20 CITES dan Pengalihan Management Authority Spesies Akuatik (4 Maret 2026)](https://ppid.kkp.go.id/upt/loka-pengelolaan-kelautan-pekanbaru/agenda/detail/lpk-pekanbaru-hadiri-rapat-koordinasi-tindak-lanjut-cop20-cites-dan-pengalihan-management-authority-spesies-akuatik/) · [KKP, Loka Pengelolaan Kelautan Pekanbaru — Rapat Koordinasi Tindak Lanjut COP20 CITES dan Pengalihan Management Authority Spesies Akuatik (4 Maret 2026)](https://ppid.kkp.go.id/upt/loka-pengelolaan-kelautan-pekanbaru/agenda/detail/lpk-pekanbaru-hadiri-rapat-koordinasi-tindak-lanjut-cop20-cites-dan-pengalihan-management-authority-spesies-akuatik/) · [KKP, Loka Pengelolaan Kelautan Pekanbaru — Rapat Koordinasi Tindak Lanjut COP20 CITES dan Pengalihan Management Authority Spesies Akuatik (4 Maret 2026)](https://ppid.kkp.go.id/upt/loka-pengelolaan-kelautan-pekanbaru/agenda/detail/lpk-pekanbaru-hadiri-rapat-koordinasi-tindak-lanjut-cop20-cites-dan-pengalihan-management-authority-spesies-akuatik/) · [IUCN Red List — Rhincodon typus (assessed 2025)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19488/126673248) · [IUCN Red List — Mobula birostris (assessed 2019, published 2022)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/198921/214397182) · [IUCN Red List — Mobula alfredi (assessed 2018, published 2022)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/195459/214395983) · [IUCN Red List — Sphyrna lewini (assessed 2018)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39385/2918526) · [IUCN Red List — Galeocerdo cuvier (assessed 2018)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39378/2913541) · [IUCN Red List — Carcharhinus melanopterus (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39375/58303674) · [IUCN Red List — Triaenodon obesus (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39384/173436715) · [IUCN Red List — Taeniura lymma (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/116850766/290355127) · [IUCN Red List — Taeniura lymma (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/116850766/290355127)

## Is shark fin or shark meat safe to eat? Mercury and animal welfare

WHO says people are exposed to methylmercury mainly by eating fish and shellfish, that large predatory fish are more likely to carry high levels, and that exposure endangers unborn children. Sharks are predators near the top of the food chain.

DNA tests on shark fin soup in Singapore found blue shark the most common species, and the researchers judged it extremely likely that diners are exposed to unsafe mercury levels. A 2025 study of smoked shark and ray meat from Java found that eating it can in some cases exceed Indonesia's mercury safety limits, with older people and pregnant women most vulnerable.

In September 2025, 24 primary school pupils and a teacher in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, suffered nausea, vomiting and stomach pain after a free school meal (MBG) of fried shark. The National Nutrition Agency said it had not confirmed shark as the cause. Anyone who falls ill after eating should go to a health facility.

For welfare, finning means a shark can be thrown back alive without its fins. In Komodo National Park about 5 per cent of identified mantas carried fishing-gear injuries, and in a pay-to-release trial in East Lombok and Aceh Jaya fishers said hammerheads and wedgefish were usually dead by the time they came off longlines.

Evidence: [WHO — Mercury and health (fact sheet)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health) · [WHO — Mercury and health (fact sheet)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health) · [WHO — Mercury and health (fact sheet)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health) · [Choy C. & Wainwright B.J. (2022) What is in your shark fin soup? Probably an endangered shark species and a bit of mercury. Animals 12:802](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070802) · [Choy C. & Wainwright B.J. (2022) What is in your shark fin soup? Probably an endangered shark species and a bit of mercury. Animals 12:802](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070802) · [Abdullah A. et al. (2025) Mercury, methylmercury and PAH contamination in smoked shark and stingray products from Java, Indonesia. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis](https://europepmc.org/article/AGR/IND609239656) · [Abdullah A. et al. (2025) Mercury, methylmercury and PAH contamination in smoked shark and stingray products from Java, Indonesia. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis](https://europepmc.org/article/AGR/IND609239656) · [Kompas.com — BGN soal Hiu Goreng Jadi Menu MBG: Kearifan Lokal (25 September 2025)](https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2025/09/25/14494101/bgn-soal-hiu-goreng-jadi-menu-mbg-kearifan-lokal) · [Kompas.com — BGN soal Hiu Goreng Jadi Menu MBG: Kearifan Lokal (25 September 2025)](https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2025/09/25/14494101/bgn-soal-hiu-goreng-jadi-menu-mbg-kearifan-lokal) · [Liputan6.com — Penjelasan BGN soal Keracunan Massal Siswa di Ketapang usai Santap Menu MBG Berbahan Ikan Hiu (26 September 2025)](https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/6169175/penjelasan-bgn-soal-keracunan-massal-siswa-di-ketapang-usai-santap-menu-mbg-berbahan-ikan-hiu) · [FAO (2015) State of the global market for shark products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 590](https://www.fao.org/3/i4795e/i4795e.pdf) · [Germanov E.S. et al. (2022) Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ 10:e13302](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000)

## Swimming with whale sharks in Indonesia: where, and what are the rules?

A 2025 KKP press release lists juvenile whale shark aggregation sites at Cenderawasih Bay, Kaimana, Saleh Bay, Gorontalo, Probolinggo and the Derawan Islands. At several sites they gather around bagan (lit lift-net platforms), and a 2020 study listed feeding for tourism at Cenderawasih Bay, Gorontalo, Triton Bay and East Kalimantan.

KKP's technical guideline for whale shark tourism, Director-General Decree No. 41 of 2022, is used for example to monitor tourism at Botubarani in the Gorontalo Bay marine protected area. The draft KKP discussed in 2020 set a 10-knot limit within one mile, engines off no closer than 30 metres, no touching or lights for photography, swimmers at least 3 metres away and no more than 60 minutes in the water.

In Saleh Bay, Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Regulation 100/2023 requires registered operators and local guides. Everyone is banned from using camera flash, scooters or jet skis, metal jewellery and reef-unfriendly sunscreen; chasing, touching, pulling or riding whale sharks is prohibited; and visitors must keep their distance, not block a shark's path and take turns on a rota.

KKP itself acknowledged in 2025 that the guideline is not yet fully followed in the field, and that badly managed tourism can endanger both whale sharks and visitors. At a feeding site in the Philippines, juvenile whale sharks spent about six times longer at the surface, with an estimated 7.2 per cent higher metabolic rate.

Evidence: [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan — Siaran Pers SP.379/SJ.5/IX/2025: KKP Beri Perlindungan Ekstra Jaga Populasi Hiu Paus (19 September 2025)](https://kkp.go.id/news/news-detail/kkp-beri-perlindungan-ekstra-jaga-populasi-hiu-paus-w0WJ.html) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Araujo G. et al. (2020) Changes in diving behaviour and habitat use of provisioned whale sharks: implications for management. Scientific Reports 10](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73416-2) · [Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Provinsi Gorontalo — Monitoring Wisatawan di Kawasan Konservasi Hiu Paus Botubarani (Juni 2025)](https://dinaskp.gorontaloprov.go.id/monitoring-wisatawan-kapal-pesiar-di-kawasan-konservasi-hiu-paus-botubarani-wujud-komitmen-terhadap-kaidah-konservasi/) · [Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Provinsi Gorontalo — Monitoring Wisatawan di Kawasan Konservasi Hiu Paus Botubarani (Juni 2025)](https://dinaskp.gorontaloprov.go.id/monitoring-wisatawan-kapal-pesiar-di-kawasan-konservasi-hiu-paus-botubarani-wujud-komitmen-terhadap-kaidah-konservasi/) · [KKP, JDIH (bahan rapat, 2020) — Rancangan Peraturan Dirjen Pengelolaan Ruang Laut tentang Pedoman Pelaksanaan Wisata Hiu Paus](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/bahanrapat/bahanrapat_01112020114629.pdf) · [KKP, JDIH (bahan rapat, 2020) — Rancangan Peraturan Dirjen Pengelolaan Ruang Laut tentang Pedoman Pelaksanaan Wisata Hiu Paus](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/bahanrapat/bahanrapat_01112020114629.pdf) · [KKP, JDIH (bahan rapat, 2020) — Rancangan Peraturan Dirjen Pengelolaan Ruang Laut tentang Pedoman Pelaksanaan Wisata Hiu Paus](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/bahanrapat/bahanrapat_01112020114629.pdf) · [KKP, JDIH (bahan rapat, 2020) — Rancangan Peraturan Dirjen Pengelolaan Ruang Laut tentang Pedoman Pelaksanaan Wisata Hiu Paus](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/bahanrapat/bahanrapat_01112020114629.pdf) · [KKP, JDIH (bahan rapat, 2020) — Rancangan Peraturan Dirjen Pengelolaan Ruang Laut tentang Pedoman Pelaksanaan Wisata Hiu Paus](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/bahanrapat/bahanrapat_01112020114629.pdf) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Peraturan Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Barat Nomor 100 Tahun 2023 tentang Tata Kelola Hiu Paus di Perairan Teluk Saleh, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/276812/pergub-prov-nusa-tenggara-barat-no-100-tahun) · [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan — Siaran Pers SP.379/SJ.5/IX/2025: KKP Beri Perlindungan Ekstra Jaga Populasi Hiu Paus (19 September 2025)](https://kkp.go.id/news/news-detail/kkp-beri-perlindungan-ekstra-jaga-populasi-hiu-paus-w0WJ.html) · [Araujo G. et al. (2020) Changes in diving behaviour and habitat use of provisioned whale sharks: implications for management. Scientific Reports 10](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73416-2) · [Araujo G. et al. (2020) Changes in diving behaviour and habitat use of provisioned whale sharks: implications for management. Scientific Reports 10](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73416-2) · [Araujo G. et al. (2020) Changes in diving behaviour and habitat use of provisioned whale sharks: implications for management. Scientific Reports 10](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73416-2)

## Diving and snorkelling with manta rays: what does responsible look like?

Photo-identified reef mantas move between Nusa Penida, the Gili Islands and Komodo National Park, up to 450 km apart, so a tourist site is only as safe as the routes between sites. In Komodo, dive boats per survey at Karang Makassar and Mawan rose 34 per cent between 2014 and 2017; since September 2019 the park has capped boats, divers and snorkellers in the water there at any one time, and breaches have drawn warning letters.

A video study at manta feeding sites in the Maldives found that only 44 per cent of interactions followed the guidelines. Blocking a manta's path, diving too close or directly in front, chasing and approaching head-on made mantas stop feeding, and interactions within three metres increased avoidance. Passive watching caused the least disturbance. Because mantas are fully protected, touching or harassing them also runs against the purpose of that protection.

Evidence: [Germanov E.S. & Marshall A.D. (2014) Running the gauntlet: regional movement patterns of Manta alfredi through a complex of parks and fisheries. PLoS ONE 9](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110071) · [Germanov E.S. et al. (2022) Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ 10:e13302](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302) · [Germanov E.S. et al. (2022) Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ 10:e13302](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302) · [Germanov E.S. et al. (2022) Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ 10:e13302](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302) · [Murray A. et al. (2019) Protecting the million-dollar mantas: creating an evidence-based code of conduct for manta ray tourism interactions. Journal of Ecotourism 19](https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2019.1659802) · [Murray A. et al. (2019) Protecting the million-dollar mantas: creating an evidence-based code of conduct for manta ray tourism interactions. Journal of Ecotourism 19](https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2019.1659802) · [Murray A. et al. (2019) Protecting the million-dollar mantas: creating an evidence-based code of conduct for manta ray tourism interactions. Journal of Ecotourism 19](https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2019.1659802) · [Murray A. et al. (2019) Protecting the million-dollar mantas: creating an evidence-based code of conduct for manta ray tourism interactions. Journal of Ecotourism 19](https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2019.1659802) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 4/KEPMEN-KP/2014 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Pari Manta, JDIH KKP](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2014kepmenkp004_1706597849.pdf)

## Stranded whale sharks and bycatch: what is behind them?

A 2025 study recorded 115 whale shark strandings involving 127 animals in 23 of Indonesia's 38 provinces in 2011–2023, with a rising trend; 70 per cent were large juveniles of 4–7 metres. Java's south coast is a hotspot, mainly in the strong upwelling season when whale sharks likely follow their food. The researchers named natural events as the main factor, with the role of human activity still to be investigated. KKP recorded an average of 20 stranded whale sharks over 2021–2025 and has made stranding response a priority for 2026–2029.

Many cases start as a weak whale shark swimming close to shore rather than one already on the beach. These live sharks were often dragged ashore by well-meaning villagers and died, because whale sharks cannot survive out of water. Do not touch or pull the animal; report it straight away to the KKP call centre on 141 or to local officials.

Whale sharks are also caught in fishing nets. A researcher documented 58 landings of mostly immature whale sharks in Java in 2002–2022, butchered on the beach and sold for meat although the species is protected. Hammerheads and wedgefish are often caught in gillnets and longlines. A pay-to-release trial in Indonesia was estimated to have increased hammerhead deaths by 44 per cent, because some boats caught more.

Evidence: [Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3) · [Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3) · [Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3) · [Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3) · [Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3) · [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan — Siaran Pers SP.379/SJ.5/IX/2025: KKP Beri Perlindungan Ekstra Jaga Populasi Hiu Paus (19 September 2025)](https://kkp.go.id/news/news-detail/kkp-beri-perlindungan-ekstra-jaga-populasi-hiu-paus-w0WJ.html) · [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan — Siaran Pers SP.379/SJ.5/IX/2025: KKP Beri Perlindungan Ekstra Jaga Populasi Hiu Paus (19 September 2025)](https://kkp.go.id/news/news-detail/kkp-beri-perlindungan-ekstra-jaga-populasi-hiu-paus-w0WJ.html) · [Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3) · [Putra M.I.H. et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal patterns, trends, and oceanographic drivers of whale shark strandings in Indonesia. Scientific Reports 15](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20543-3) · [Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan — KKP Tetapkan Rencana Aksi Nasional Konservasi Hiu Paus (11 April 2021)](https://kkp.go.id/djprl/kkp-tetapkan-rencana-aksi-nasional-konservasi-hiu-paus65c2f1eb6dd23/detail.html) · [Nijman V. (2023) Illegal trade in protected sharks: the case of artisanal whale shark meat fisheries in Java, Indonesia. Animals 13:2656](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162656) · [Nijman V. (2023) Illegal trade in protected sharks: the case of artisanal whale shark meat fisheries in Java, Indonesia. Animals 13:2656](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162656) · [Nijman V. (2023) Illegal trade in protected sharks: the case of artisanal whale shark meat fisheries in Java, Indonesia. Animals 13:2656](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162656) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000) · [Booth H.L. et al. (2025) Conservation impacts and hidden actions in a randomized controlled trial of a marine pay-to-release program. Science Advances 11](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1000)

## What are the penalties for trading protected sharks and rays? Enforcement cases

Law 5/1990 as amended by Law 32/2024 defines animals (satwa) as those living on land, in water or in the air; Article 21(2) bans catching, storing, transporting and trading protected animals, alive or dead, and their parts, and Article 40A sets prison terms of up to 15 years (Law 1/2026 removed the former 3-year minimum from 2 January 2026). In the 2014 manta cases KKP used Articles 88 and 100 of the Fisheries Law (Law 31/2004 as amended by Law 45/2009). Article 337 of the new Criminal Code (Law 1/2023, in force from 2 January 2026) punishes hurting or injuring an animal excessively or without proper purpose, and Article 66A of Law 41/2014 bans animal abuse.

Recorded cases include five suspected manta traders arrested in Indramayu, Surabaya and Bali in August–September 2014, with 138 kg of gill plates seized, and a Cirebon District Court sentence of 1.4 years in prison and a Rp50 million fine for a gill seller on 27 January 2015. In May 2022 KKP pursued a Baubau company holding 4,030 kg of shark fins without SIPJI or SAJI, including six CITES Appendix II types. Yet research in Java found officials who felt a landed whale shark may as well be used.

Evidence: [Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [detikFinance — Penangkap Ikan 'Obat Kuat' Pari Manta Bisa Didenda Rp 1,5 Miliar dan Penjara 6 Tahun (17 November 2014)](https://finance.detik.com/berita-ekonomi-bisnis/d-2750571/penangkap-ikan-obat-kuat-pari-manta-bisa-didenda-rp-1-5-miliar-dan-penjara-6-tahun) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/234935/uu-no-1-tahun-2023) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/234935/uu-no-1-tahun-2023) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/234935/uu-no-1-tahun-2023) · [Undang-Undang Nomor 41 Tahun 2014 tentang Perubahan atas UU Nomor 18 Tahun 2009 tentang Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38801/uu-no-41-tahun-2014) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Penjual Insang Pari Manta Dihukum 1,4 Tahun Penjara (2 Februari 2015)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2015/02/02/penjual-insang-pari-manta-dihukum-14-tahun-penjara-sebagai-efek-jera-kah/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Penjual Insang Pari Manta Dihukum 1,4 Tahun Penjara (2 Februari 2015)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2015/02/02/penjual-insang-pari-manta-dihukum-14-tahun-penjara-sebagai-efek-jera-kah/) · [KKP Ditjen PSDKP — KKP Pastikan Proses Hukum Pelaku Perdagangan Sirip Hiu Ilegal di Sulawesi Tenggara (17 Mei 2022)](https://kkp.go.id/djpsdkp/kkp-pastikan-proses-hukum-pelaku-perdagangan-sirip-hiu-ilegal-di-sulawesi-tenggara65c306b8ece49/detail.html) · [KKP Ditjen PSDKP — KKP Pastikan Proses Hukum Pelaku Perdagangan Sirip Hiu Ilegal di Sulawesi Tenggara (17 Mei 2022)](https://kkp.go.id/djpsdkp/kkp-pastikan-proses-hukum-pelaku-perdagangan-sirip-hiu-ilegal-di-sulawesi-tenggara65c306b8ece49/detail.html) · [KKP Ditjen PSDKP — KKP Pastikan Proses Hukum Pelaku Perdagangan Sirip Hiu Ilegal di Sulawesi Tenggara (17 Mei 2022)](https://kkp.go.id/djpsdkp/kkp-pastikan-proses-hukum-pelaku-perdagangan-sirip-hiu-ilegal-di-sulawesi-tenggara65c306b8ece49/detail.html) · [Nijman V. (2023) Illegal trade in protected sharks: the case of artisanal whale shark meat fisheries in Java, Indonesia. Animals 13:2656](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162656) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026)

## How to help

- Do not buy shark fin, manta or devil ray gill plates, or whale shark meat and oil; processed products cannot be identified by species.
- Do not like or share videos of people riding, touching or butchering whale sharks and mantas; report the content to the platform.
- Report catching or trading of whale sharks, mantas and other protected species to the KKP call centre on 141, and crimes or emergencies to the police on 110. See also the guide to reporting wildlife trade.
- If a whale shark is swimming weakly near the shore or is stranded, do not touch or pull it; call KKP on 141 or local officials and follow the stranded marine animal emergency guide.
- Choose whale shark operators that are registered, use local guides, keep their distance, ban touching and flash, and never chase the sharks. When diving with mantas, watch passively from more than three metres.
- PanduanHewan does not take donations. Before giving or volunteering elsewhere, use this site's "how to check an appeal" checklist: a registered organisation, open about its money, working under KKP or other official permits, and not selling contact with animals.
- Ethical volunteering means no holding or feeding animals; look for education, surveys run with protected-area managers or KKP, or beach clean-ups.

## Common questions

### Is shark fin protected or illegal in Indonesia?

It depends on the species. Whale shark fins are fully protected, CITES-listed species need SIPJI and SAJI permits, and since 5 March 2026 commercial international trade in oceanic whitetips, whale sharks and mantas has been closed.

### When did Indonesia protect the whale shark?

On 20 May 2013, through Decree 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 on full protection of the whale shark.

### Is the hammerhead shark protected?

The scalloped hammerhead is not listed in the P.106/2018 annex or Decree 66/2025, but it has been on CITES Appendix II since 2014 (exports need permits), is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and may not be traded in South Sumatra.

### Are whale sharks and manta rays dangerous?

Whale sharks eat plankton and small fish, and mantas have no stinging spine. Even so, the rules ban touching, chasing or riding whale sharks, and mantas avoid people who come within three metres.

### Why do whale sharks strand?

It is not an omen. A 2025 study found Java's south coast to be a hotspot in the upwelling season, when whale sharks likely follow their food, and named natural events as the main factor.

### Is it ethical to swim with whale sharks in Indonesia?

It is more responsible when the rules are followed: registered operators, local guides, no touching or flash, and keeping your distance. Feeding for tourism has been shown to change whale shark behaviour.

Readers outside Indonesia can [fund frontline animal rescue](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/) with World Animal Rescue Network. Related site: PanduanHewan’s founder is also a director of World Animal Rescue Network. PanduanHewan does not accept donations.

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- [Undang-Undang Nomor 41 Tahun 2014 tentang Perubahan atas UU Nomor 18 Tahun 2009 tentang Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan, JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38801/uu-no-41-tahun-2014)
- [Mongabay Indonesia — Penjual Insang Pari Manta Dihukum 1,4 Tahun Penjara (2 Februari 2015)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2015/02/02/penjual-insang-pari-manta-dihukum-14-tahun-penjara-sebagai-efek-jera-kah/)
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