Florida lawmakers want to stop people from taking endangered, threatened, or vulnerable aquatic animals out of state waters to put them on display or use them for education. The MANTA Protection Act, now moving through both the House and Senate, targets this exact problem.
Right now, you can get a special activity license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The license allows you to take protected species for exhibits or educational programs, even if those animals are officially threatened or endangered at the state or federal level. Rep. Lindsay Cross from St. Petersburg, one of the sponsors, says this loophole needs to close.
Last summer, a dolphin tour company caught people capturing a giant manta ray off Panama City. It’s a federally threatened species. That manta now spends its life in a tank at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, far from the ocean it once called home. “This female giant manta ray will live the rest of her life in a tank at SeaWorld in Abu Dhabi and doesn’t get to experience the gift of being a wild animal,” Cross said.
Cross argues that many of these species are barely holding on. She says we need to focus on restoring and rehabilitating their populations so they can thrive in the wild, not in tanks. The bill, which has support from both sides of the aisle, aims to make that happen.
Still, Cross points out there are exceptions worth keeping. Some aquariums, like Clearwater Marine Aquarium, only house animals rescued from injuries or illness, cases where animals can’t survive in the wild. That, she says, is a responsible approach.
If the governor signs the bill, it becomes law on July 1, 2026.
