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| © Marty Snyderman |
| Florida's waters aren't safe for manatees. |
By Sharon Young
Florida's manatees are in trouble. Last year was the worst on record for deaths: 417 out of an estimated 2,812 animals died in 2006, most after being hit by boats.
Despite a steadily increasing mortality trend, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering reducing protections for these gentle animals by downlisting the species from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Florida has already downlisted manatees on its state-wide endangered species list, even though state officials admit that the population could drop by 30 percent in the next three generations.
Threats
The two major threats to manatee survival are the loss of habitat and boat collisions. Manatees depend on warm waters (above 68 degrees F) to survive in the winter, but development has made many of the warm springs inaccessible. For a while, power plants provided an alternative supply of warm water, but they are being closed.
The number of registered boats continues to rise, and speed is a particular problem. Slow moving manatees are often unable to avoid collisions with boats, and they are killed or severely injured by the impact or by propellers.
Dr. Michael Runge, co-author of a recent government report on manatee status, has warned that "any increase in watercraft-related mortality substantially increases the risk of the Florida manatee population reaching the point of no probable recovery."
Catering to Lobbyists
What's behind the federal government proposal to reduce protection for manatees? Perhaps, like Florida, it is feeling pressure from boaters who resent speed limits and developers who want to build in key manatee habitat. When the state approved downlisting manatees last year, some developers and boaters cheered. The state and federal governments appear more interested in pleasing powerful lobbying groups than they are in protecting this beleaguered species.
Downlisting manatees is a bad idea until there is a way to control the ever-increasing death toll and to protect key habitats.
Sharon Young is The HSUS's Marine Issues Field Director.
Updated April 27, 2007.
