Patrick Rose, Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club (at right), speaks before the FWC Commissioners at their September meeting. (Photo by Terry Nearing.)

Despite Governor Charlie Crist's intervention and the recent classification of the Florida manatee as "Endangered" by the IUCN - World Conservation Union, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has rescheduled consideration of the manatee downlisting decision at their December meeting in Key Largo, FL.

In September, following urging by Save the Manatee Club, Governor Crist requested the FWC postpone their vote on downlisting manatees from "endangered" to "threatened" status in Florida. Calling the manatee "one of our state's beloved natural resources," in a letter issued to the commission on September 10th, Governor Crist urged them to postpone their decision given the need for a better method to estimate the manatee population and the record 417 manatee deaths in 2006.

"We are appreciative of the governor's involvement and are grateful for his continued support not to downlist manatees in Florida prematurely," says Patrick Rose, Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club. "We remain optimistic, but we are asking that people continue to thank Governor Crist for his efforts and encourage him to hold strong to his opposition to downlisting."

The commission's decision to delay downlisting the manatee in September came on the heels of the release of the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) 2007 Red List of Threatened Species. The manatee has been classified as "Endangered" on the 2007 IUCN Red List, which projects a downward population trend for the aquatic mammals.

(l-r) Ron Ginn, Grace Campbell, and Amy Campbell were among the people who came to show their support for manatees at the September FWC meeting in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Terry Nearing.)

Ironically, the state of Florida modified its classification system in 1999 to incorporate the listing criteria of the IUCN, a world authority on endangered species, except for one critical difference: The FWC did not properly align the IUCN’s risk category definitions with the IUCN’s category names. The IUCN’s “Critically Endangered” category became the FWC’s “Endangered” category, and the IUCN’s “Endangered” category became FWC’s “Threatened” category. If the FWC had adopted the IUCN classification system without modification, the manatee would continue to meet the criteria for "Endangered" status in Florida.

Florida's classification system has been objected to by numerous scientists worldwide, and environmental groups have continually called the listing/delisting rule language greatly flawed. Further, environmentalists point to the state’s own findings that 50% of the statewide manatee population could be lost in the next 45 years from rising threats to its long-term survival..

Take Action!

Heartfelt thanks to YOU for all you’ve done so far! Your help has made a huge difference by getting the governor to stand up for manatees. But our work is not yet done. We need to urge the governor to hold the line for manatees and Florida's other imperiled species. Here's what you can do:

1. Please click on the link below to to send an quick and easy online letter to Governor Crist and the FWC Commission, asking them to delay the downlisting of the Florida manatee and fix the state's modified classification system.
   
   www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=20
   

2. If you would like to send a personal letter, contact information is listed below. Thank Governor Crist for asking the Commission to postpone their vote to downlist manatees and urge him to ask the Commission to revisit Florida's listing/delisting rule criteria for imperiled species. Remind him that Florida's classification system has been objected to by numerous scientists worldwide and is currently based on listing/delisting rule language that environmental groups have called greatly flawed. Be sure to mention that the IUCN - World Conservation Union has just classified manatees to "Endangered" status using the same criteria that the FWC is using to downlist manatees from "Endangered" to "Threatened" status in Florida. Let the governor know that when a species meets the Endangered criteria, they need to be called "Endangered," not "Threatened." Get a summary of the state downlisting issue (pdf).
   
   E-mail Governor Crist and the FWC Commissioners
   (Please remember to include your name and address in your e-mail message).
   
   Governor Charlie Crist
   PL-05 The Capitol
   Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
   Phone: 850-488-7146
   Fax: 850-487-0801
   
   Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
   620 South Meridian Street
   Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
   Phone: 850-487-3796
   Fax: 850-921-5786
   

3. Please make a donation online now to help us with our upcoming efforts on this issue (or you can call us at 1-800-432-5646). Save the Manatee Club will continue to work hard to improve the flawed state criteria for manatees and other imperiled species in Florida.

Get More Info!

• Read a letter to Governor Crist from Save the Manatee Club and other organizations representing over 21 million people (pdf).
  
  
• View the full text of Governor Crist’s letter (pdf).
• Read the 2007 IUCN Red List report on manatees.
  
  
• Read media articles on the state downlisting issue.