Manatees no longer endangered, but is that good news?
Loss of status alarms lawmakers, activists
The manatee is officially endangered no more.
Increases in manatee populations and improvements in their habitats led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service to downgrade protections for the species from “endangered” to “threatened.”
But not everyone is happy with the seemingly good news.
The Center for Biological Diversity noted that 2016 was the deadliest year to date for manatees.
“Manatees are still in danger. With ongoing threats posed by boat strikes and habitat loss, we don’t support reducing protections,” said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director for the center.
Still, the move to downgrade the manatee marks a milestone. About 13,000 manatees currently live throughout the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S. The species is subdivided equally between the Antillean manatee and the Florida manatee.
That’s a stark contrast to years past, when the mammals appeared to be on the brink of extinction. The current population of 6,620 Florida manatees is a dramatic turnaround from the 1970s, when just a few hundred remained, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service said. The manatee, also known as a sea cow, was first listed as endangered in 1973.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, determines which animals need to be protected under the Endangered Species Act. Federal protections will remain in place for manatees, which are migrating from their wintering grounds near warm-water outpours and coastal springs.
Others also criticized move.
Calling it a “huge disappointment,” U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., blasted the Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The decision to weaken protections under the Endangered Species Act threatens the survival of the manatee, one of Florida’s most beloved animals,” Buchanan said. “It needs to be reversed.”
Manatees continue to face a variety of threats to their existence, including watercraft collisions, habitat loss and red tide, he said. the