The West Indian manatee's downlisting to threatened from endangered could harm the manatees' survival, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, said Thursday.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said notable increases in manatee populations and improvements to its habitat allowed it to change the species’ status under the Endangered Species Act.
Today’s estimated population of 6,620 Florida manatees is a dramatic turnaround from the 1970s, when just a few hundred individuals remained, the agency said.
The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee.
Buchanan said, “The decision to weaken protections under the Endangered Species Act threatens the survival of the manatee, one of Florida’s most beloved animals. It needs to be reversed.”
Buchanan said he planned to contact the Secretary of the Interior to ask him to reconsider and overturn the decision.
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 said.
Manatee deaths are on the rise, according to a recent published report. There were 520 deaths in 2016, more than 100 of which were caused by boats and other watercraft.
Manatees face a variety of threats to their existence, including watercraft collisions, habitat loss and red tide. Additionally, the warm water springs manatees depend on during the winter months for survival are disappearing, Buchanan said.
Buchanan noted that 16 percent of the Florida manatee population died in 2013 as a result of a massive bloom of red tide algae, as well as a mysterious ailment that killed a number of manatees along the state’s east coast.
The downlisting comes after diverse conservation efforts and collaborations by Florida and other manatee states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Caribbean nations, public and private organizations and citizens, there have been notable increases in manatee populations and improvements in its habitat, Interior Department officials said.
>> Download the final decision to reclassify the West Indian manatee.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service has worked hand in hand with state and local governments, businesses, industry, and countless stakeholders over many years to protect and restore a mammal that is cherished by people around the world,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said Thursday. “Without this type of collaboration and the commitment of state and local partners, this downlisting would not have been possible.”
In its review, FWS considered the status of the West Indian manatee throughout its range, which includes the Florida manatee subspecies, found primarily in the southeastern United States, and the Antillean manatee, found in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America, northern South America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The downlisting means that the manatee is no longer considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, but is likely to become so in the foreseeable future without continued ESA protections.
Although the downlisting represents a milestone for the manatee, the agency underscored that important challenges still remain to ensuring the species’ long-term future throughout its range. As such, FWS biologists emphasized that the downlisting will not diminish any existing federal protections that will continue to play a vital role in the recovery of the species. The manatee will also continue to be protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
“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.”
Actions by the FWS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, local communities, and industry on behalf of the manatee include:
- Retrofitting water control devices such as those found at locks and levees, resulting in significant decreases in manatee fatalities.
- Power companies working cooperatively with federal and state conservation managers to address future loss of warm water outflows where manatees winter.
- Florida counties implementing manatee protection plans and reducing boater impacts.
- Increasing manatee access to several Florida natural springs while establishing sanctuaries for the wintering manatees in those areas during winter cold snaps.
- FWS working with the U.S. Coast Guard and FWC to minimize manatee collisions with vessels during highspeed marine events and other activities.
- Fishing gear cleanup and recycling programs reducing the threat from fishing gear entanglements.
- Rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts that help save dozens of manatees annually.
Outside the United States, manatee population and abundance estimates are less certain. There are likely as many as 6,300 Antillean manatees spread over a much broader range, from the Mexican Gulf coast to northern Brazil and the Caribbean.
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