Manatee Protection Status Downgraded By Feds

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Manatees have officially been bumped from the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While the move to reclassify sea cows as threatened instead might seem like good news, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is blasting the measure.

“The decision to weaken protections under the Endangered Species Act threatens the survival of the manatee, one of Florida’s most beloved animals,” Buchanan, a Republican from Sarasota, said following Thursday's announcement from the federal agency. “It needs to be reversed.”

Buchanan stands so staunchly opposed to the decision, he intends to challenge the reclassification with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.

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In a Thursday media release, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said the new classification doesn’t remove any federal protections from manatees. Buchanan, however, doesn’t believe that’s true.

“Despite the agency’s assertion that a downlisting would not affect federal protections for the manatee, a move from endangered to threatened could cause a broader reassessment of state and local protections for the animals,” Buchanan’s statement said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 520 manatee deaths in its 2016 annual report. More than 100 of those deaths were attributed to boats and other watercraft. Despite growing population number counts, Buchanan said the death rate remains too high to consider weakening protections.

See also: Florida Manatee Count Tops 6,600

FWC reported in February that 6,620 manatees had been counted in its 2017 annual survey of sea cows in Sunshine State waters. That number was up from 6,250 in 2016.

Florida’s manatees were first listed as a federal endangered species in 1966. The creatures are also protected under the state’s Manatee Sanctuary Act. The federal government began efforts to downgrade manatee protections about a year ago. The reclassification to threatened status leaves a number of protections in place for manatees, but it may lead to an easing of boating restrictions meant to protect the creatures. That is one of the concerns Buchanan and others have raised.

While manatees have a range that extends from the southeastern United States to the Greater Antilles, they are synonymous with Florida. The creatures are found in bodies of water scattered across the state during warmer months. When temperatures drop, they tend to gravitate toward the state’s warm-water springs and power plant discharge basins, according to FWC.

The final decision to reclassify manatees is a “milestone” for the species, the federal government reported Thursday. Even so, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says more work lies ahead to protect the creatures.

“While there is still more work to be done to fully recover manatee populations, particularly in the Caribbean, manatee numbers are increasing and we are actively working with partners to address threats,” said Jim Kurth, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s acting director. “Today we both recognize the significant progress we have made in conserving manatee populations while reaffirming our commitment to continuing this species’ recovery and success throughout its range.”

It is unclear how soon Buchanan plans to contact Zinke.

To read more about the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s decision, visit the agency online.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Service