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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Coral Murphy Marcos

Legal capture of endangered manta ray sparks bipartisan outrage in Florida

Composite of two images shot from a cell phone of a giant ray being hauled onto the flat back deck of a boat.
Capture of a giant manta ray in July off the shore of a Panama City beach in Florida. Photograph: Facebook/Planet Water USA

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.

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