Manatees Need Better Protection

2006 A Bad Year for Forida's Manatees

By Jessica Koelsch, Florida Marine Wildlife Program Manager, The Ocean Conservancy

The recent news about increasing manatee deaths - especially the high number still being killed by watercraft - is distressing. The important thing about the state's uncertainty over the actual cause of the increased mortality is this: It's as bad as ever, and more serious than anticipated.

The good news is that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is finally developing a management plan that evaluates current efforts to protect manatees and describes what additional steps must be taken to ensure manatees are on the path to recovery. The Ocean Conservancy is encouraged by the scope and breadth of tasks the commission proposes undertaking over the next five years. While the agency desperately needs to better define recovery objectives (the current allowance of a 30 percent decline is clearly inadequate), the commission has already stated that it is committed to revising the plan to clarify its goal of having a stable or increasing manatee population statewide and will remove the confusing language in the current draft.

The bottom line is that manatees need better protection so that they are able to thrive and reproduce faster than they are being killed, whether by motorboats, red tide or other causes. The Ocean Conservancy is committed to the survival and recovery of Florida manatees, including protecting them from the dire threat of boat strikes. The draft management plan seems to be heading in the right direction.

While the commission must balance protection with public uses, it is responsible for conserving this unique species and must err on the side of conservation. The challenge ahead is for the commission to demonstrate strength and leadership and effectively implement measures detailed in the plan. The public should demand no less.