The leading identified cause of manatee deaths in 2006 was watercraft related. (Photo © David R. Schrichte)

The year 2006 is on record as being the deadliest one ever documented for manatees. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have released manatee mortality data that showed 417 manatees died in state waters last year. In 1996, a red tide bloom contributed to 415 manatee deaths.

Although red tide played a factor last year, the leading identified cause of manatee deaths in 2006 was watercraft related. Approximately 92 manatees were killed by boat collisions -- making it the second highest year on record and an increase from the 79 watercraft deaths reported in 2005. Over the last 10 years, at least 763 manatees are known to have been killed by boats, and 3,113 manatees have died from all causes.

Ironically, in June the FWC voted to downlist manatees from endangered to threatened status on the state level. Manatees remain listed as endangered on the federal level and meet the international criteria for endangered species as well.

“By voting to change the manatee’s status from endangered to threatened, the state of Florida is saying that manatees are doing better,” says Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club. “That’s not the case at all, and the 2006 statistics prove that. Human-related threats such as watercraft strikes, loss of warm-water habitat, and destruction of habitat associated with development and climate change are only escalating for manatees.”

In addition to the watercraft-related deaths, four manatees were also killed last year when they were crushed or drowned in flood gate or canal lock structures, and five more mortalities were the result of other human activities such as ingestion of or entanglement in monofilament line, fishing nets, fishing hooks, or litter. A total of 70 deaths were categorized as “perinatal,” which are dependent calves less than five feet long that died of natural causes.

FWC biologists have found that the manatee population could be reduced by as much as 50% in the future, which puts them at a very high risk of extinction. However, according to new imperiled species listing criteria recently developed by the state, if manatees aren't in danger of losing at least 80% of their numbers, they don't qualify for endangered status in Florida.

The FWC recently released a draft manatee management plan and requested public comment through January 11th – the final step in the downlisting process. But the draft plan actually allows a 30% decline in the manatee population over three generations. The plan will be put on the agenda for final approval at the FWC’s April or June 2007 meeting.

“The near-record watercraft related deaths and record total in 2006 only reinforce the overall trend that we have been seeing in recent years,” says Rose. “We are very concerned that if the FWC proceeds to downlist manatees under the draft plan, there will be a rollback in manatee protection, when an increase in protection is what is actually needed.”

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• To obtain current manatee mortality statistics, visit the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute web site.
  
  
• See FWC's draft Manatee Management Plan
  
  
• Read Save the Manatee Club's comments on the draft plan (pdf)
  
  
• Read comments on the FWC's management plan from
  the Marine Mammal Commision
  
  
• Get more background on the manatee’s downlisting:

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