Florida to Remove Manatee From State's Endangered List; feds also evaluate

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Florida to Remove Manatee From State's Endangered List
By TERRY AGUAYO
Published: June 9, 2006

MIAMI, June 8 — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to remove the Florida manatee from the state's endangered species list. The move is already creating controversy among environmental groups that say manatees will not get the protection they need.

"The commissioners are very much being pressured by development interests and to some extent boating interests that depend on consuming Florida wildlife and habitat," said Patrick Rose, a biologist with the Save the Manatee Club.

The commission voted 7 to 0 to reclassify the manatee as a threatened species. The reclassification means that while the species is still at a high risk of extinction, the commission no longer considers it to be in imminent danger.

On the federal level, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is re-evaluating the manatee's designation in the Endangered Species Act.

The process to reclassify the manatee in Florida began in 2001, when boating and development groups began a campaign against restrictions intended to protect the mammals. Since then, scientists working for the commission and others conducted studies and reviewed literature before advising commissioners that manatees no longer meet the criteria for listing as an endangered species....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/09/us/09manatee.html

[ThsMchneKilsFascists]

1. what logic

The reclassification means that while the species is still at a high risk of extinction, the commission no longer considers it to be in imminent danger.

Huh?

Being at a high risk of extinction isn't all that pressing a matter in Florida it seems.

:crazy:

[chookie]

2. This is a disaster

Manatee populations have been diminishing over the years, even despite their "protected" status.

This will sound their death knell.

Fuck the rednecks and fascists. I'd rather have more manatees and less rednecks.

[alarimer]

19. A few years ago, almost 300 died in a red tide

That is 10% of the current population. It could happen again, with the increase in red tide events in recent years.

It looks like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is wholly bought and paid for by development interests. I believe all the commissioners were appointed by Jeb Bush. I could be wrong. In Texas at least the TWPD Commissioners terms are staggered; they often are appointed by different governors (although the currents ones all were appointed by either Bush or Perry, so pick your poison). They, at least, have not done anything as egregious as this.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. goddam yacht pigs

May this season's hurricanes do them all justice. :grr:

[Benhurst]

4. I don't know whether you're be sarcastic or not; but that's exactly

how I feel.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. No sarcasm here.

These assholes deem their deathtraps more important than Nature. I hope Nature strikes back.

[alarimer]

20. As a kayaker, I HATE power boaters

They either ignore us human powered vessels or deliberately try to swamp us. I live in Texas now but when I lived in Florida, I encountered more drunken boaters than I have anywhere else. It is a problem everywhere of course but I think it might be worse in areas with high pleasure-boating populations.

I swear, I think some boaters deliberately run over manatees.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. That's a problem in the Chesapeake Bay

I'm always reading about accidents involving alcohol.
I don't know why some people think it's safer to drink and navigate a boat than it is to drink and drive a car...

I haven't done any boating in years; but when I did, it was usually in a canoe, on quiet waters. I used to have a boyfriend who took me to this beautiful, pristine lake and rented the biggest effing horsepower motorboat the boathouse had. I got the worst migraine headache while he was getting his he-man-macho jollies. That was the end of that relationship. I just cited irreconcilable differences and never spoke with him again.

[Dudley_DUright]

28. I have had half full beer cans thrown at me

when I was out riding my bicycle on rural roads in FL (on more than one occasion). It is not just the drunken boaters that are dangerous down here.

[alarimer]

29. No you're right of course

I just noticed it more in Florida while I was working around boat ramps. Also it was a few years ago and they do enforce Boating while intoxicated laws more than they used to.

I don't know what it is about people in cars and boats versus bicyclists and non-powered boats. Same mentality applies with bicycles and sometimes even morotcycles. Well I guess some people are just assholes.

[Placebo]

6. Everyone, please help SAVE THE MANATEE if you can!

www.savethemanatee.org

It was founded by Jimmy Buffett and former Florida governor and senator Bob Graham. You can sponsor a manatee for as little as $25.

This is outrageous. Just another example of greed-fueled lobbyists getting their way at the expense of living creatures and the environment.

[adriennui]

7. save the manatee was the first organization

i encouraged my daughter to become interested in when she was a little girl. we'd receive monthly reports on "our" manatee, rescue efforts and population updates.

i travel to florida very often(the SE)....the place is becoming a mess, between the massive shopping centers and ridiculously large mcmansions.

i am proud to say my daughter has developed into a caring and giving young woman.

but I am sad that the callousness of the builders and yachters still call the shots.

[robcon]

8. Great news.

Manatees seem to be such unique animals. It's great to hear their numbers are increasing.

[alarimer]

21. Not increasing enough to justify this

this is one more example of Wildlife commissions being in the pocket of developers. I say we look into the backgrounds of all those commisioners. I bet they have ties with lobbyists and developers. That would be so typically Floridian where ever politician has a developer in his pocket. Jsut ask Carl Hiassen. He often writes about this stuff.

[yellowcanine]

9. Does this mean we can eat them? Baked Manatee and Soup du Manatee Recipes.

Baked Manatee
6 manatee steaks
lemon juice
lemon slices
garlic powder
butter
chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Arrange manatee steaks in an ovenware dish large enough to place in a single layer, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over steaks. Cut a generous amount of butter into squares and place over the steaks. Arrange lemon slices over the steaks and then sprinkle generously with parsley. Bake in a 375 F oven until steaks are cooked. Serve with french bread.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soup Du Manatee
2 lbs manatee meat, cubed
2 tbsps oil
1 cup roux
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2/3 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 lb can whole tomatoes in juice
1 lemon sliced across
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
2- inch cut basil sprigs
2 quarts water
4 tbsps parsley
Heat oil. Add roux, tomatoes and juice, onion, celery, bell peppers, lemon, seasonings and herbs. Stir well. Add water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add parsley and simmer a few minutes more. Add dry sherry if desired when serving.

[The Stranger]

11. If you want to be prosecuted, sure.

[yellowcanine]

13. How about "roadkill" manatee?

[The Stranger]

10. The corruption of government and destruction of the people's environment

seem to just go on and on and on, even preventing protection of a harmless, nearly helpless species.

I hate motorboats.

[quaoar]

12. This is the cost of Republican rule

In Alabama there is a large fish called the Alabama sturgeon. It is extremely rare, nearly extinct. The state decided it was in the way of efforts to dredge the rivers where it lives so they tried to declare that it is not a distinct species. Voila!

[USA_1]

14. Sea Calf

The sea calf or manatee is considered sacred by the Taínos of Florida and the Caribbean. It is a creature that is deserving of special protection from people. Shame upon Florida officials for not giving it the sanctuary that it deserves.

[MasonJar]

15. Again the Bush cabal at work! Another innocent thrust under the

wheels of corporate and human mania and greed.

[1monster]

16. They've also removed the Bald Eagle from the threatened list.

While it is true that I have seen several bald eagles in the last four or so years, they are also the first bald eagles I've seen in my life.

The fact that they are reproducing and adapting to urban areas doesn't in any way mitigate the fact that forty years ago they were nearly extinct. They are making a come back but in way do they have the numbers necessary to be considered safe.

On the other hand, I sure wouldn't mind some reductions in the protections on alligators! Those reptiles have made a mighty mighty come back in the same forty years. (Alligator shoes anyone? How 'bout an alligator purse or belt? Gloves? Wallet?... sorry, but when there's a sign on the public library MAN MADE retention pond that sits right in front of the parking lot to please not disturb the alligators in the pond, it is a bit tooooo much!)

[fishnfla]

17. There are more and more Manatees

I've been plying these waters now for going on 16 years. I am seeing more and more manatees all the time. In fact everytime I am on or near water for a significant amount of time we usually see one, usually more, manatees. Last weekend we were fishing a tourney and I saw over a dozen. the irony is during that time I am seeing more and more and more boats too.

It used to be as well that many of the manatee that we saw had prop scars. The white marks are easy to see. Now it is harder to see any prop scars. I always check to see, in case they need help. Sea World has been real good of rehabbing them

I think the manatee are evolving and saving themselves. I notice that in high motorboat traffic areas they are staying close to channels edges . Also they are staying out of high traffic areas altoghter and in the backwaters where I fish. The fisherman are starting to become more cognizant as well, protecting the seagrasses, which they eat, from prop damage.

Dont get me wrong, they still need protection. But they are doing better. Their bigger threat is not from boaters, but agricultural runoff, global warming, and drought. Big sugar has trashed the lower Mosquito Lagoon and Florida bay. Deadly red tide blooms are becoming larger and more frequent

[alarimer]

22. In this case, I think developers are the real villains

Although I hate power boaters for other, more personal reasons (such as the assholes always try to run me over or swamp me when I am in my kayak).

[pezdespencer]

18. Sad

they are cool animals to dive with and people wanna to kill them so sad

[Coexist]

24. that sucks - I love manatees

:-(

[corkhead]

25. "endangered" is relative. EVERYTHING is endangered, therefore

nothing is.

[moggie]

26. That's worrying

They're very cool creatures.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. The new face of the revolution should be a manatee

Because if there is any animal that needs protection, it is a manatee. They are harmless creatures and their fate literally lies in our hands.