U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan protests taking manatees, 'iconic residents of Florida,' off endangered list

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, sent a formal objection to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monday over downgrading manatees from their current "endangered" designation to "threatened."

The threatened designation would mean less protections for the mammal found in Florida waters, Buchanan said. But the Fish and Wildlife Service said in its announcement that changing its status to threatened would not impact protections. Manatees have been listed as endangered since 1966.

"I'm concerned that weakening protections will lead to a decline in the manatee population," Buchanan said. "Manatees are iconic residents of Florida. We should be doing all we can to ensure the survival of these gentle giants."

The FWS announced its recommendation to downgrade the protected status

of manatees on Jan. 7, and the 90-day public comment period comes to an end on Thursday. The endangered status for manatees could officially end after the public comment period is over.

The FWS said its proposal was due to significant improvements in the population and habitat of manatees. There are estimates of 13,000 manatees, with more than 6,300 in Florida, FWS stated. Since there were only 1,267 manatees estimated in Florida in 1991, FWS says there has been a 500 percent increase in the manatee population in Florida over the past 25 years.

Buchanan said FWS is relying on outdated information and is failing to take into account manatee deaths since 2012. He said red tide algae and other ailments killed 16 percent of the manatee population in Florida in 2013.

"The manatee population has started to rebound because of the protections put in place by the Endangered Species Act," Buchanan said. "But based on the data provided, it's clear that we can't assume that manatees are safe -- so I'm urging caution."

Buchanan said although the federal agency argues that the threatened status won't mean less protections for the species, it could cause a broader reassessment of state and local protections for the animals.

"Just days after the proposed rule was announced, the Brevard County commissioners approved a resolution requesting that the Florida Legislature review slow-speed zones currently in place for boats and called for a reconsideration of the state's Manatee Sanctuary Act, which established protections for manatees and their habitats in several counties, including Sarasota and Manatee," a release from Buchanan's office stated.

This story was originally published April 4, 2016 at 11:02 PM with the headline "U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan protests taking manatees, 'iconic residents of Florida,' off endangered list ."