The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will no longer allow open permitting for the capture of ESA-threatened marine species in Florida waters for public display and exhibition purposes.
Permits for the capture of species such as giant manta rays and queen conch now require commission review and approval, including clear justification and safeguards to prevent animals from being transferred overseas through permitting loopholes.
“Requiring public review and commission approval introduces greater transparency, accountability and oversight into a process that has lacked sufficient safeguards,” Katherine Sayler with Defenders of Wildlife said in a news release. “We remain committed to working with agencies, aquariums and other stakeholders to promote education, conservation and non-extractive alternatives that protect these species in the wild.”
In 2015, Defenders of Wildlife, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, petitioned for the giant manta ray be listed under the Endangered Species Act, citing overfishing as the reason for their global population collapse.
“The main driver of these threats is the high international demand for manta ray gill plates which are filter-feeding structures,” the organization said in the release. “Although NOAA Fisheries listed it as threatened throughout its range in 2018, it refused to give the species legal protections against unauthorized take.”
Research shows that the buying and selling of stingray gill plates is used for traditional Chinese medicine. The gill plates are harvested from stingrays that are caught intentionally or accidentally. The plates are sold whole or in a powder form.
According to Wiley.com, vendors recommend gill plates for ailments ranging from acne to cancer and as a general health tonic.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Florida tightens rules for capturing threatened marine species
Reporting by Lucia Viti, St. Augustine Record / St. Augustine Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
