US President Donald Trump has pardoned two divers from Florida who were convicted of theft in 2022 after freeing 19 sharks from longlines off Jupiter (Florida) in 2020. Captain John Moore Jr. and crew member Tanner Mansell believed the fishing lines were illegal, cut them, freed the animals, and subsequently reported the find to the authorities.
Rescue operation turned criminal case
In August 2020, the crew of a shark-diving boat came across a longline several miles long, from which hung, among others, a great hammerhead shark, six tiger sharks, three lemon sharks, two nurse sharks, one Caribbean reef shark, one silky shark, and one goliath grouper. Moore and Mansell brought the line ashore as evidence. Later, it emerged that the owner was fishing with a NOAA licence for research purposes.
Despite their open actions, the men were charged with theft by the public prosecutor and found guilty by a jury. They had to pay $1,343.72 in damages; there were no prison sentences, but the convictions restricted civil rights and travel authorisations.
Pardon and reactions
On 28 May, Trump signed the pardons and expunged the convictions. Lawyers described the proceedings as excessive and a “just correction”.
“We never gave up, justice has prevailed,” said Moore’s lawyer Marc Seitles. “The White House recognised that this prosecution was unjust.” “This case should never have been brought,” said Mansell’s lawyer Ian Goldstein. “The two acted in good faith and wanted to save sharks from an allegedly illegal longline.”
The public prosecutor had previously argued that the crew knew the fishing was legal and acted out of commercial interest. With the pardon, the criminal consequences for Moore and Mansell are lifted.
