Despite widespread outcry, extensive rulemaking workshops, and overwhelming public commentary against Florida Wildlife Commission’s program issuing permits to capture endangered and prohibited species for the aquarium trade, FWC has approved final rules making only superficial changes to its Special Activity License program, which will have little effect on the state’s unique policy of permitting aquarium corporations to capture marine megafauna.

In workshops, proposals included options to halt the trade of marine life listed under the Endangered Species Act or prohibited to take under Florida law. The vast majority of public comments supported these proposals, but the agency chose none of the above.

Instead, FWC’s new rules tout the prohibition of manta exports — which was already illegalized under international law at CITES this winter. To the agency’s credit, it did take positive steps to reduce manta capture permits and prohibit exports of ESA-listed wildlife, however these changes affect very few species or permits issued by the agency.

“These new rules do little for mantas and nothing to address Florida’s enormous captivity pipeline for endangered sharks revealed in public records,” marine ecologist and Fish Defender director Spencer Roberts said of the new regulations, “Despite a few tepid reforms, FWC has chosen to continue writing billion-dollar aquarium corporations exemptions for wildlife protections anyone else in Florida must follow, and horrific scenes like the manta capture that drew outrage across the globe will continue in Florida waters when no one is watching.”

“This does prove that FWC is listening to the public on this issue — when we can provide data-driven arguments that are impossible to ignore,” said animal behavior and captivity trade expert Rachel Hale, who led the effort to bring transparency to FWC SAL permit records, “Next step: protect all backyard vulnerable species!”

Fish Defender is a 501(c)3 organization of divers, scientists, and environmentalists dedicated to advocacy for imperiled marine fish species, based in Miami, Florida.