Buchanan demands improved federal protection as Florida manatees die at alarming rate
As manatee deaths in Florida continue to rise at an alarming rate, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is calling on federal leaders to upgrade the animal’s protected status.
Not even halfway through the year, manatee deaths are set to outpace 2018’s record death toll of 804. As of June 4, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that 782 manatees have already died.
In a letter sent Monday to Martha Williams, the principal deputy director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Buchanan urged the agency to reclassify the Florida manatee as an “endangered” species, reversing a decision it made four years ago.
“It was very ill-advised for the Fish and Wildlife Service to weaken the Manatee’s protections in 2017,” said Buchanan, who criticized the decision at the time. “Given the alarming surge in manatee deaths this year, upgrading their (Endangered Species Act) designation is critical.”
Before the federal reversal in 2017, manatees had been a protected endangered species for decades, dating back to the 1960s when they faced extinction. According to the Florida Museum, only 1,200 manatees were alive in 1991. Today, that number has grown to around 6,500.
As part of its 2017 revision, USFWS noted that downgrading the manatee from endangered to threatened did not “significantly change the protections afforded to this species,” noting that the change was made because the marine mammal was no longer on the brink of extinction. The agency said it would continue to lead population recovery efforts, including promoting boater awareness, protecting manatee habitat and reducing fishing accidents.
But Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said he would prefer to see the endangered tag brought back, which allows for the highest level of federal protection and conservation efforts.
“When a species becomes extinct, it is lost forever,” Buchanan said in a prepared statement. “We cannot afford to let that happen to these iconic residents of Florida and the state’s official marine mammal.”
Only six of this year’s manatee deaths have been reported in Manatee County, along with five reported in Sarasota County. The vast majority of the deaths have occurred on Florida’s East Coast. FWC officials reported 306 deaths alone in Brevard County.
Earlier this month, TCPalm reported that a group of environmental organizations pressured Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency for the Indian River Lagoon where 56 percent of the manatee deaths have occurred. A state official said the declaration was “not necessary at this time.”
In March, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officially labeled the deaths an “unusual mortality event,” which led to an ongoing federal investigation into the cause of the problem.
Experts say declining water quality and the loss of seagrass, which manatees feed on, are major contributing factors to the die-off.
“There is a broad consensus among marine biologists and conservationists that the driving force behind the rapidly growing death rate is the degradation of the water quality in manatee habitats, growing levels of water pollution and an increase of harmful algal blooms that kill off seagrass,” Buchanan wrote.
“Again, I urge you to re-designate the manatee as endangered to ensure the survival of these gentle giants,” he added. “Time is of the essence.”
