Legal capture of endangered manta ray sparks bipartisan outrage in Florida

"Florida authorities have agreed to review the issuing of special permits allowing companies to capture endangered creatures to sell, after an outcry over the netting of a huge manta ray for an aquarium in Abu Dhabi. The review comes after a viral video released on 12 July showed a boat crew capturing a giant manta ray off a Panama City beach in Florida and pulling it onto their boat, sparking outrage among the community."

"A dolphin tour operator who witnessed and filmed the scene confronted the crew and asked whether they would release the manta ray, but they explained they had a legal permit. The manta ray was hooked under the wing, and it was obviously exhausted, Denis Richard, the founder of the Water Planet US dolphin tour company, who filmed the video, said in a telephone interview on Saturday. I started telling them that they should be ashamed of themselves."

"It was later confirmed that the crew were contractors working for SeaWorld Abu Dhabi to supply an aquarium there, and the company holding the permit was Dynasty Marine Associates, based in Marathon, Florida. The permit was issued by the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC). The plankton-feeding giant manta ray, the world's largest ray with a wingspan of up to 26ft, is federally listed as an endangered species."

Florida authorities agreed to review the issuing of special permits allowing companies to capture endangered animals to sell after public outcry over the netting of a huge manta ray destined for an aquarium in Abu Dhabi. A viral video released on 12 July showed a boat crew capturing a giant manta ray off a Panama City beach and pulling it onto their boat. A dolphin tour operator who filmed the scene confronted the crew and was told they held a legal permit. The crew were later confirmed as contractors for SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and the permit holder was Dynasty Marine Associates of Marathon, Florida. The permit was issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The plankton-feeding giant manta ray is federally listed as endangered and faces threats from targeted fishing, bycatch, and international trade in gill plates.

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