Summary
The present study was designed to incorporate stakeholder input and fisher expertise in the design of mobulid (mantas and devil rays) bycatch technology in large-scale tuna purse seine fisheries operating in the EPO (Eastern Pacific Ocean). Surveys and focus groups of fishers suggested that the primary obstacles to mitigating mobulid bycatch are 1) inability to sight them before capture, 2) lack of appropriate response equipment on board, and 3) the difficulty of releasing large individuals. Many suggestions were made for both pre-capture and post-capture bycatch mitigation strategies.