
Protected animal: In this Thursday photo released by WildAid and Conservation International, Indonesian manta hunters stand on their boat carrying a speared manta ray in the water off Solor island. Indonesia is now the world's largest sanctuary for manta rays, after officials were persuaded by evidence that the gentle giants known for delighting tourists are worth more alive than dead. The government on Friday announced that manta rays within the archipelago's 5.8 million square kilometers (2.2 million square miles) of ocean will be protected from fishing and export. It will take time and cooperation at multiple levels to enforce the ban on poaching in the biggest global shark and ray fishery. (AP Photo/WildAid and Conservation International, Shawn Heinrichs)