Help The Manatees, Take Action

Write a letter to Governor Crist and the commissioners to
encourage them to keep the Florida manatee on the
endangered list.

Governor Charlie Crist
PL-05 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Phone: 850-488-7146
Fax: 850-487-0801
E-mail: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
Phone: 850-487-3796
Fax: 850-921-5786
E-mail: Commissioners@MyFWC.com

Report manatees in trouble

FWC on your cellular radio, use VHF channel 16 on your marine radio.

When In Florida Be Cautious on Manatee Habitats
By: Adam Baroni (Age 16)

Manatees can be found throughout the state of Florida, especially in waters along the coast.  Any waterway emptying in coastal waters is a manatee habitat.

Manatees can be found in fresh, brackish (combination of fresh and saltwater) and in salt waters.  They are gentle and slow-moving.  Most of their time is spent eating, resting and traveling.

When traveling through manatee habitat, please aware of signs a manatee is near –

• A snout, tail, or flipper breaking the surface of the water.
• A swirl in the water that indicates a manatee is just under the surface.

Manatee Protection Tips
By: Jovan Fergusen (Age 14)

It is against the law to disturb manatees.  You can’t ride them or surround them.  You also can’t feed them, give them fresh water or poke them.  If you chose to do these actions, you could be fined or even arrested!

Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.  It is illegal to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy or molest manatees.

The state of Florida has also established regulatory speed zones to protect the manatee and its habitat.

Anyone convicted of violating state laws faces maximum fines of $500 and/or imprisonment of up to 60 days.  Conviction for violating federal protection laws is punishable by fines up to $100,000 and/or one year in prison.

Manatee Keeps Endangered Status in Florida

The manatee kept its endangered status as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to defer a decision about rules changes to reclassify manatees as threatened. The Commission also directed staff to re-examine the state classification system for all imperiled species.

Citing the need for a better method to estimate the manatee population and the record 417 manatee deaths in 2006, Florida Governor Charlie Crist asked the FWC to reject the status change and the Commissioners complied.

“We need to protect these gentle creatures and I’ve consistently felt that way,” said Governor Crist in a recent interview with the Miami Herald. In addition to the suggestion of Crist to keep the manatee on the endangered list, the Commissioners also considered the release of the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) 2007 Red List of Endangered species in September which included the manatee. The IUCN projects a downward population trend for the aquatic mammal.

The Florida Manatee, classified as endangered for four decades, was estimated to number only 1,500 a decade ago. Some 3,000 of the slow-moving marine mammals are believed to roam Florida’s coastal waters and rivers today. But, environmentalists point to the state’s own findings that 50% of the statewide manatee population could be lost in the next 45 years from rising threats to its long-term survival.

In an effort to focus on the long-term survival of manatees, the FWC unanimously voted to approve the Florida Manatee Management Plan, effectively establishing a comprehensive plan that lays out the realistic measures the state can take to keep the manatee from becoming extinct. The plan also includes measurable goals for the manatee’s recovery. It marks the first time Florida has had a management plan for the species.

Dugongs Need Protection In Okinawa, Japan

Dugongs are relatives of the manatees and are found in 43 countries along the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Scientists believe only about 50 remain off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. These rare dugong have been classified as “critically endangered” on Japan’s Ministry of the Environment Red List, the Japanese equivalent to the U.S. government’s endangered species list.

Conservationists, including members of the Save the Dugong Campaign Center, hope that the move to classify the dugong as critically endangered will back up legal action already underway to halt the expansion of a U.S. military base in Okinawa which would be located in prime dugong habitat.

Historic dugong population numbers are difficult to come by, but wildlife groups estimate that thousands – if not tens of thousands – swam near the island about 300 years ago. While dugongs have been killed by large sharks and saltwater crocodiles, those cases are rare, making humans the most likely culprits in the decline of the dugong. In Okinawa, the U.S. military may be the biggest threat of all.

As part of their efforts to protect the dugong, the Center for Biological Diversity has been leading a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense. The lawsuit addresses a planned relocation of the Marine Corps’ Futenma Airbase, which sits in a densely populated site. The project requires expanding runways into a bay that has the richest area of sea grass.

Hideki Yoshikawa, a member of the Save the Dugong Campaign Center in Okinawa said that the Defense Facilities Administration Agency (DFAA), a Japanese organization that manages facilities for the U.S. military, does appear to be moving ahead with the base construction.

"We are concerned that the DFAA will do anything to carry out the plan, including ignoring of the listing of the Okinawa dugong on the [Ministry of the Environment's] Red List," he said. "Implications are there and scary."

Dugongs and manatees are the last remaining sirenians, a group of marine mammals that scientists believe evolved from elephants about 60 million years ago. An April 1997 DNA study published in the Journal of Molecular Evolution said that dugongs and manatees split into different species about 22 million years ago. While dugongs are mostly native to Southeast Asia, manatees are found in waters around the southeastern U.S., Central and South America, and West Africa. Today all sirenians are considered endangered.

Shriner brothers support efforts to save the manatees
By: Ron Radice (Age 17)

Living in South Florida, Wil and Kin Shriner are very familiar with manatees and the problems they face. And they have found ways to show their support for these beloved endangered species.

Wil included footage of a manatee in a 2006 movie he directed called Hoot, based on a Carl Hiaasen novel about burrowing owls. Wil also wrote the screenplay and appeared in a public service announcement with Hiaasen for the Save the Manatee Club. Kin, who plays Scotty Baldwin on General Hospital, adopted a manatee and named it after Wil's son. The soap opera star also donated money from a family feud show to help manatees.

"We love manatees and have been around them while growing up," Wil says, "We hate to see people not be aware as they share the waterways and life in Florida with manatees."

This is similar to the message of Hoot, a message Wil believes in, that if you see something that doesn't seem right, stand up and let people know how you feel.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was enacted on October 21, 1972.  All marine mammals are protected under the MMPA.  The MMPA prohibits, with certain exceptions, the take of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas, and the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the U.S.

In 1972 President Nixon declared current species conservation efforts to be inadequate and called on Congress to pass comprehensive endangered species legislation.  Congress responded by creating the Endangered Species Act of 1973 which was signed by former president Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973.

The maximum fine for violating the MMPA is $20,000 and one year in jail.  The maximum fine for violating the ESA is $50,000 and one year in jail.

Manatees in Florida are protected by both state and federal law.  They are protected by two federal laws: The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.  Manatees are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.

Manatee meeting democratic

Posted on Sat, Dec. 08, 2007, The Miami Herald

In Florida, there is a governmental entity that cares about public input -- the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
On a day when one of the most heated and controversial issues was being addressed -- downlisting the manatee from endangered to threatened -- every FWC commissioner took the time to listen to all public comments. They listened patiently while everyone from a representative of the Humane Society to a private boat captain voiced their opinions.

I was the last public speaker. I began by introducing an initiative I will soon be launching called Pier2Pier, whereby my students and I will reach out to other students about the issues and perils facing manatees and wild dolphins. I told the commission that we believe manatees should remain on the endangered list.

As commissioners evaluated all the comments, they also discussed their own opinions. They decided that they needed more time before reaching a decision. They made a motion not only to postpone the downlisting issue, but also to have FWC staff reexamine the listing process for all imperiled species and to bring back alternatives. The vote was unanimous.

I am fortunate to have been at this meeting, getting the chance to be around so many people who care about our state marine mammal. I thank FWC Commissioner Dwight Stephenson for suggesting that I attend the meeting and for taking an interest in the awareness campaign I have initiated with my students.

In fact, all the commissioners were interested in learning more about my initiative. Driving home, I reflected on the meeting and had to smile. I know that if I send the commissioners an e-mail, they will read it; and I know that when they do revisit the issue of downlisting the manatee from endangered to threatened, they will make a decision that is best for the manatee.

JAMIE MICHELLE AQUINO, Journalism Teacher

Download the approved Florida Manatee Management Plan

FWC passes Florida Manatee Management Plan
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently approved a Manatee Management Plan which addresses future protection and conservation of manatees. The Manatee Management Plan provides a framework for conservation and management of manatees. It is not a rule or regulation, but provides an overview of all programs, initiatives and strategies concerning manatees.

Manatee Protection Plan approved for Broward, Palm Beach Counties
In October, 1989 the Florida Governor and Cabinet directed 13 “Key” counties to develop manatee protection plans (MPPs).  The directive was eventually required by Florida Statute in 2002.  As of 2007, all 13 counties have FWC-approved MPPs, which include: Broward, Citrus, Collier, Duval, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Sarasota, St. Lucie and Volusia counties.

For more information on each counties individual MPP, log on to www.myfwc.com/manatee/mpp/