animalphiles

Manatees may lose endangered status

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to upgrate the Manatee's status from endangered to threatened. A report released Monday shows the species is no longer on the brink of extinction.

This year's annual manatee census recorded 2,812 of the animals in Florida waters, more than double the number in 1991.

Patrick Rose, executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, says, "this is not the time to be moving to say that they're going to be downlisting (the manatees) and then dilute the protection for them." Conservationist fear the change could ease boating and development restrictions which have allowed the manatee population to recover.

People harassing Florida manatees

From the Gainesville Sun:
Federal and state wildlife officials say they're watching the waters where manatees swim in Citrus County after receiving hundreds of complaints over the past few days that some people are harassing the animals.

The complaints stem from footage recently posted on the Internet showing people standing on manatees and trying to ride the large aquatic mammals.

“Our position is that swimming with manatees in local waters is allowable, and limited animal-initiated contact is acceptable. However, in these videotapes there is clearly too much of a good thing,” said Jim Kraus, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge manager in a statement released this week.

The refuge was established in 1983 specifically for manatees' protection, according to a statement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge preserves the state's “most significant naturally occurring warm water haven for manatees.”

During the winter, manatees regularly come to the refuge, attracting thousands of tourists, according to both agencies.

Manatee deaths up in Florida

416 manatees died in Florida waters during 2006 - up more than five percent from the year before. 86 of the deaths were directly related to watercraft. Manatees often swim close to the surface and are vulnerable to boat propellers. Speed zones are posted in manatee-heavy waters, but are often ignored by careless boaters.

Despite the rise in mortality, scientists believe the manatee population is stable or growing in most areas of the state.

To find out more, check out the press release from the Florida Fish and WIldlife Conservation Commission.