Florida rewrote its rules for capturing giant manta rays after a disturbing video jolted the public, but state officials stopped short of shutting the practice down.

Members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted Wednesday to adopt an amended final rule that gives the agency power to decide when and where threatened giant manta rays can be taken from state waters for what it calls “responsible exhibition” in the US. The move follows mounting scrutiny after footage last year showed a captured ray in severe distress as people handled it into an unmarked boat in Florida waters.

The state answered public anger with tighter control, not a full prohibition.

The decision lands in the middle of a charged fight over wildlife protection, public ethics and commercial display. Reports indicate a bipartisan group of politicians pushed for a complete end to the practice after the video spread online. Instead, regulators chose a narrower path: keep capture legal in some cases, while reserving more discretion over permits and conditions.

Key Facts

  • Florida officials approved an amended rule on giant manta ray capture Wednesday.
  • The rule allows the state to limit when and where threatened rays can be taken.
  • The action follows a viral video showing a captured ray in visible distress.
  • Lawmakers from both parties had called for a full ban, but regulators did not adopt one.

That compromise will likely satisfy few people completely. Conservation advocates have argued that a threatened species should not be removed from the wild for exhibition at all, especially after images that suggested serious harm to the animal. Supporters of the revised approach appear to believe tighter oversight can prevent the worst abuses without ending the practice outright.

What happens next will depend on how aggressively Florida uses its new authority. If officials impose strict limits, the rule could sharply curb future captures even without a formal ban. If they do not, the vote may deepen pressure from advocates and lawmakers who see the state’s response as too cautious for a threatened animal already under intense public scrutiny.