ICYMI: Manatee Protection Change Ill-Advised, Some Officials Say

While some are lauding Thursday’s official removal of manatees from the federal endangered species list, others say recent mortality numbers don’t support the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s decision to reclassify the creatures as threatened.

With 165 manatee deaths already on record in Florida for 2017, a downgrading in protections isn’t justified, officials like U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan and Charlie Crist, and Patrick Rose, executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, say.

“We believe this is a devastating blow to manatees,” Rose said in a statement issued after the federal government announced its decision Thursday. “FWS decided to prematurely downlist manatees without a proven, viable plan for reducing record-high, watercraft-related manatee deaths and without establishing a long-term plan for the anticipated loss of artificial winter warm water habitat on which more than 60 percent of the Florida manatee population depends.”

See also: Florida Manatee Count Tops 6,600

Rose and others say the federal government made its decision without putting enough weight on data from 2010 to 2016 that showed “manatees suffered from unprecedented mortality events linked to habitat pollution, dependence on artificial warm water sources, and record deaths from watercraft strikes.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission keeps records of manatee deaths reported across the state annually. That agency also conducts a yearly aerial survey meant to provide a rough count of manatees found in Florida waterways. While the aerial count has shown a rise in Florida’s manatee population over the past few years – 6,620 in 2017 compared with 6,250 in 2016 – death rates have also been high.

Data released by the state for 2010 through 2016, the years contested by Save the Manatee Club, show death rates as follows:

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Dr. Katie Tripp, the club’s director of science and conservation, is at a loss to explain why the entire species was downgraded in protection based on the numbers out of Florida and elsewhere.

"The FWS rule states that the agency estimates the total West Indian Manatee population to be between 8,396 and 13,142 individuals,” Tripp said in a Thursday statement. “When the minimum population estimate from Florida is subtracted from this estimate that leaves 1,776 to 6,522 manatees scattered in small, isolated populations throughout the Wider Caribbean. So many countries in the Antillean manatee's range are experiencing increased habitat destruction. Additionally, countries like Belize have seen a sharp rise in watercraft-related manatee injuries and deaths in recent years and manatees in some of these countries still die at the hands of poachers."

While Buchanan, Crist and Save the Manatee Club are jockeying to get FWS to reconsider its decision, some agencies are lauding the reclassification as a win for conservation efforts.

“The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and many partners and citizens have worked collaboratively for years to increase the abundance and health of Florida manatee populations, resulting in a great conservation success story,” Nick Wiley, FWC’s executive director, said in a statement sent to Patch Friday. “Given their continuing recovery, FWC supports a reclassification of manatees to threatened and remains committed to working with our partners to maintain the thriving manatee population in Florida.”

“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 & 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.”

Buchanan, a Republican from Sarasota, said the decision “threatens the survival of manatees, one of Florida’s most beloved animals.” The decision, he added, needs to be reversed. He intends to take the issue up directly with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. How soon that will happen remains unclear.

Crist, a Democrat from St. Petersburg, also says the downlisting needs to be reconsidered.

“The manatee population has made strong gains – because we made protecting them a priority," Crist told Patch. "I'm concerned that downlisting the manatee is premature, and could reverse the progress we've made. Federal officials need to rethink this decision to ensure our state treasures – these gentle giants – remain a key part of our vibrant ecosystem forever.”

Meanwhile, the Save the Manatee Club is urging residents who are concerned about the decision to take action.

"The No. 1 thing people can do is to help educate their friends and family about what is going on here," Anne Harvey Holbrook, the nonprofit organization's staff attorney told Patch.

While Thursday's change won't likely have immediate implications for manatees as far as protections go, Harvey Holbrook said it "creates the image that manatees are doing well. We're concerned this is going to create a slippery slope."

What legal action, if any, Save the Manatee Club will take remains under review, she added.

"We are still considering our actions," she said. "We don't believe this decision is based on the best available science."

For more information about the Save the Manatee Club, visit the organization’s website.

Photo by David Schrichte, courtesy of Save the Manatee Club