Crowd taunts fisherman believing he caught protected ray

Author: Associated Press
Published: Updated:
Photo via The Daytona Beach news Journal

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. (AP) Some teens tried to stop a fisherman who had caught a 300-pound string ray from walking away with the catch under the mistaken believe that the aquatic animal was a protected species.

Officers with Volusia County Beach Safety responded to Daytona Beach Shores on Friday after the teens started taunting the fisherman, urging him to let the sting ray go.

Capt. Mike Berard says there were no arrests but some of the juveniles were removed from the beach in handcuffs.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported Saturday that the crowd believed the catch was a manta ray, which is a protected species.

Berard says the fisherman had the right to catch the sting ray.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.