Aetomylaeus bovinus is facing various and numerous threats, from fisheries to habitat degradation. As it is a benthic and semi-pelagic feeder, it is bycaught by a large number of industrial and artisanal fishing gears, especially pelagic trawling, bottom trawling, trammel nets, gill nets and spearfishing. Little information is available concerning this species in Africa, however old literature refers to a discard of 900 tonnes per year of bull rays bycaught by shrimp trawlers on the West African coast in 1988 during their late juvenile and sub/adult phase.
In the Mediterranean Sea bull rays are considered critically endangered (Cr), the last step before extinction!
