U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes taking Florida manatee off endangered species list

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday a proposal to take manatees in Florida off the endangered species list.

The act defines an endangered species as one in danger of extinction.

"Given its review of the best scientific and commercial data available, including analyses of threats and populations, the service proposes that the West Indian manatee no longer falls within the ESA's definition of endangered and should be reclassified as threatened," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a release.

Fish and Wildlife said downgrading the designation to threatened would not affect protections in place for manatees in Florida. More than 6,300 manatees populate Florida compared with an estimated 1,267 manatees in 1991.

"The manatee's recovery is incredibly encouraging and a great testament to the conservation actions of many," said Cindy Dohner, southeast regional director, in announcing the proposal at the Miami Seaquarium. "As part of its balanced approach to the recovery of

the manatee, the service recognizes that even as it proposes to update the manatee's status under the ESA with this proposal, it may at times need to strengthen protection for the species in specific local areas."

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, immediately showed his displeasure with the proposal. He sent a letter Thursday morning to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service saying the decision would be "misguided and premature."

Buchanan said the government needs to continue to protect the species, citing experts who project the manatee population could drop below 500 in the next century.

After the announcement, Buchanan said in an e-mail downgrading the listing "puts the manatee at greater risk because it opens the door to new rules or permits that could have a harmful impact on the species."

For species that were initially listed as endangered, the "threatened status also allows scaling back federal protection as they recover and no longer need the maximum protections" of the Endangered Species Act, according to a Fish and Wildlife Service document.

"I will be speaking with other members of the Florida delegation in the coming days and remain hopeful that the agency will withdraw its proposal at the end of the public comment process," Buchanan said in the e-mail. "The manatee is a beloved and cherished animal in Florida."

Manatees have been listed as endangered since 1966. Glenn Compton, chairman of ManaSota-88, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the environment, said changing the endangered listing would be a mistake.

"Even if the numbers look good today, in five to 10 years we would expect to see a reversal," Compton. "I don't have current numbers in front of me, but I'd say we'd see the population decrease by at least 5 to 10 percent."

Increased boating traffic has contributed to more manatee deaths in the past year, Compton added.

"This would reverse the positive progress we have made," he said.

An Interior Department official defended the move to downlist the manatee.

"The manatee is one of the most charismatic and instantly recognizable species," said Michael Bean, principal deputy assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior. "It's hard to imagine the waters of Florida without them, but that was the reality we were facing before manatees were listed under the Endangered Species Act. While there is still more work to be done to fully recover manatee populations, their numbers are climbing and the threats to the species' survival are being reduced."

The full proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be published Friday beginning a 90-day comment period during which the public can submit scientific or technical information to aid the agency in reaching its final decision.

-- Herald Washington Bureau reporter Tony Pugh contributed to this story.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 11:56 PM with the headline "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes taking Florida manatee off endangered species list ."