Wedge fish and file rays (Giant guitar fish) are still targeted commodities by fishermen due to high prices and demand in the market. The high level of capture has caused these biota to be listed as endangered species according to the IUCN Red List. The existence of limited data on sting rays and file rays is one of the important topics that need to be raised for further research. The Fisheries Resource Center of Indonesia (FRCI) has conducted many studies on these two ray biota, especially in the Northern Java Waters.
The studies that have been carried out were presented at "The 7th International Conference of the Asian Society of Ichthyologists 2024" held in Penang, Malaysia. This activity took place on May 28-29, 2024 which was attended by various participants from 18 countries.
On this occasion. FRCI delegated 3 people namely Heidi Retnoningtyas, Agavia Kori Rahayu, and Marsha Hamidah. These three delegates presented 3 titles, there are: 1) Utilizing a proxy method for fish stock discrimination to support effective fisheries management, 2) Fisher community outreach efforts in rhino ray conservation, 3) Fisher participation on rhino-rays data collection and juvenile release: Citizen science implementation in Rembang, Central Java, Indonesia.
Through FRCI's participation in this international conference, it is hoped that it will be one of the first steps to contribute to raising awareness and the importance of the study of sting rays and file rays in Indonesia.
