Watch: Tourists 'totally outraged' by fishing crew's brutal act at sea
Tour leader Denis Richard told Yahoo News Australia the incident left his group feeling 'totally outraged'. In a video shot by his Water Planet USA colleague in waters off Florida, a helicopter can be heard circling overhead as five men work to haul the endangered manta ray onto their boat.
'It was circling, and circling, and circling, which was not normal behaviour. It was there for a good 20 minutes, and that's what attracted my attention, so I drove towards that location,' Richard said.
The angler was strapped to the boat and described as 'pulling like crazy'. At first, Richard thought the man had accidentally hooked the animal because it is a protected species that's listed as endangered. Then they brought out a net, and their intentions became clear.
'It took them over a half hour to bring the manta ray to the boat. I was yelling at them, asking if they were going to release the animal, and they said no, we have a permit,' Richard recalled.
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Local media have confirmed with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that the men in the video had a 'special' licence to capture the animal under a program that facilitates activities including the exhibition of marine animals, education and scientific research.
Richard believes the manta ray was being acquired for the commercial aquarium trade and will be shipped overseas. Yahoo News has contacted an organisation licensed to capture marine life for display, but it did not immediately respond.
Moments earlier, Richard's tour group had been enjoying a swim close to wild dolphins, and they had ventured towards land in search of manatees, sting rays and manta rays that are known to inhabit the shallows in waters off Shell Island, near Bay County.
He's furious that rather than getting to enjoy watching the manta ray in the wild, his group had to see it caught on a line instead.
Had he known they were intending to capture the animal, Richard said he would have jumped into the water and cut the line. Once he understood their plan, he initially wasn't sure whether they were acting legally or not.
'Some people have guns and they will shoot you. So I was a little bit concerned, that's why I remained polite," Richard said. "Even though I was very firm, I did not insult them. But they did not respond, they remained very professional, and did not seem to want to respond.'
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🐭 Australia called out for 'failing' two rare species facing extinction
🎣 7.3-metre fishing vessel at centre of 800kg fishing operation
Richard is now concerned about the animal's welfare following the stressful event. But there's one positive that has come out of the incident.
'It was enlightening for the tourists. I'm glad they could witness it, so they can do something with their outrage. They can investigate, they can talk to their friends, their representatives about an injustice that allows the capture of endangered species, especially for public display,' Richard said.
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