40 ^th

Anniversary of philantropy

Gentle giant of the ocean<span>Kerstin Forsberg</span>

2016 Laureate, Environment

Kerstin Forsberg is protecting threatened giant manta rays by working with local communities to promote awareness and appreciation of these gentle giants and to assist fishermen find alternative income through ecotourism.

Location Peru

Giant mantas are extremely vulnerable and, in particular, marine environments are severely threatened. We need to engage more people in conserving them. There is a lot of work to do.

With their seven-metre wingspan, giant manta rays are a captivating sight. “They are just majestic,” says Lima-based conservation biologist Kerstin Forsberg, who has made it her mission to safeguard the future of this charismatic but vulnerable species.<br><br>In her native Peru, overfishing was putting manta numbers under severe pressure, especially as they are extremely slow to reproduce. Caught across the world for their gills and meat, giant mantas are classified as having an elevated risk of extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

50 Schools in northern Peru participating in the Planeta Océano educational outreach programme.
1 Number of pups produced by giant mantas every two to seven years.

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