{"id":1150,"date":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1150"},"modified":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","slug":"florida-tightens-rules-on-capturing-giant-manta-rays-but-stops-short-of-full-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1150","title":{"rendered":"Florida tightens rules on capturing giant manta rays but stops short of full ban"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"27b5f55f-fb13-408b-a49d-1bc0669a38cd\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Manta ray swimming in clear turquoise ocean water\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e7562ae64d4095c87453363eed77e22fde16eb1d\/0_0_7000_3938\/master\/7000.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"261.5957142857143\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A manta ray swims in clear turquoise ocean water.<\/span> Photograph: Olga Pankova\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"27b5f55f-fb13-408b-a49d-1bc0669a38cd\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A manta ray swims in clear turquoise ocean water.<\/span> Photograph: Olga Pankova\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Florida tightens rules on capturing giant manta rays but stops short of full ban<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Move follows upsetting viral video of ray being manhandled into unmarked boat in Florida waters last year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wildlife officials in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/florida\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Florida<\/a> will continue to allow threatened giant manta rays to be taken from the ocean, but have tightened their policies after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reel\/1116904387040385\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">viral video<\/a> showed a captured ray in severe distress, and a bipartisan group of politicians called for an end to the controversial practice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Members of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/florida\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Florida<\/a> fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) voted on Wednesday to adopt an amended final rule reserving the right to say when and where rays can be captured for \u201cresponsible exhibition\u201d in the US.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The 18 politicians, including the Republican congressman Brian Mast, Democratic state senator Jason Pizzo, and Florida house and senate members from both parties, had pressed for an outright ban.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cBy continuing to permit manta ray capture, the commission prioritizes the interests of the captive marine animal entertainment industry over the protection of a threatened species,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/28112746\/fwc-letter.pdf\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">they wrote<\/a> to the FWC chair, Rodney Barreto, and other panel members earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Their outrage was provoked by a video posted to social media last summer by a tour boat captain in Panama City Beach, who watched five men roughly hauling an upside-down ray in a net on to an unmarked private boat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The capture was authorized by a \u201cspecial activity license\u201d (SAL) issued by the FWC, and the ray destined for display at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. It was one of three taken from Florida waters for the United Arab Emirates theme park in two years, one of which died soon after capture, and the latest of 25 licenses issued for manta rays since 2019, the Tampa Bay Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabay.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/05\/12\/florida-manta-ray-capture-seaworld\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Of those, 75% were intended for international aquariums, the newspaper said, after reviewing data provided by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The commission discussed the concerns this week, but approved a rule anyway that will still allow manta rays to be taken, with the commission\u2019s direct prior consent. Rays can no longer be captured and sent to aquariums overseas, and any US entity seeking to exhibit one must prove an educational reason.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Atlanta\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiaaquarium.org\/manta-ray-research\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Georgia Aquarium<\/a>, an attraction with a number of research and conservation programs, is currently the only facility in the country able to house and display the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/action\/final-rule-list-giant-manta-ray-threatened-under-endangered-species-act\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">threatened species<\/a>, which can reach a span of 26ft (eight meters) and a weight of 5,300lb (2,400kg).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The commission\u2019s move was \u201ca step forward in protecting Florida\u2019s marine wildlife\u201d, said Lindsay Cross, a Democratic state representative, letter signatory and sponsor of the Marine and Aquatic Native Threatened Animal (Manta) Protection Act in the Florida legislature.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Her <a href=\"https:\/\/aldf.org\/project\/the-marine-and-aquatic-native-threatened-animal-manta-protection-act-florida\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">bill<\/a>, which died at committee stage in March, would have introduced an outright ban on the capture of threatened or endangered marine species from Florida waters and eliminated the need for an FWC rule.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWhile myself and others were seeking a complete ban on the capture of species like the giant manta ray, the amended rule will ban the international export of any federally threatened or endangered species for the purposes of exhibition or education,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cCommission approval for any new SAL will improve transparency and allow for public comment and a more iterative process whereby the commission may designate additional parameters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Alicia Prygoski, the ALDF\u2019s strategic legislative affairs manager, praised the commission for a \u201cmeaningful step\u201d, but expressed concern that it also removed from the final rule a proposed cap of one manta ray every two years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cGiant manta rays are threatened for a reason, and they deserve that highest level of protection, which would mean, of course, not pulling any of them from the water,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cBut there is still some good that can be taken from this. The commission was strong on the outright prohibition on international export, which was somewhat of a response to stakeholder outreach and that very concerning viral video.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe removal of the manta ray limit is the piece we still have concerns about. But in practice it doesn\u2019t appear to create an immediate risk because there\u2019s only one aquarium in the country equipped to house them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cOverall we\u2019re pretty happy to see the general outcome, and the FWC taking this seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Barreto, in a statement, said the panel was mindful of the concerns of the politicians and animal advocates, but weighed them against a need for education about vulnerable species.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cFWC is committed to the responsible conservation of endangered and threatened species,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe recognize the role public aquariums play in building support for conservation. The actions we took will ensure the highest level of oversight for the collection of marine threatened species for responsible exhibition in the US.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The new rule takes effect on 1 July.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/florida\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Florida<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/environment\/marine-life\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Marine life<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/environment\/endangeredspecies\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Endangered species<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/environment\/fish\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Fish<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/environment\/wildlife\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Wildlife<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/animals\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Animals<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/environment\/conservation\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Conservation<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Florida%20tightens%20rules%20on%20capturing%20giant%20manta%20rays%20but%20stops%20short%20of%20full%20ban&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/16\/florida-giant-manta-rays-capture-rules?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F16%2Fflorida-giant-manta-rays-capture-rules&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/16\/florida-giant-manta-rays-capture-rules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A manta ray swims in clear turquoise ocean water. Photograph: Olga Pankova\/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1150"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1152,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150\/revisions\/1152"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}