Opinion-Editorial
For Immediate Release: June 1, 2006

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is gearing up once again to move forward with downlisting the Florida manatee from "endangered" to "threatened," using their flawed and misguided listing/delisting criteria under the Florida Endangered Species Act. The FWC has finalized its second review of the currently endangered manatee's population status and found once again that it meets their definition for “threatened.”  Never mind that the review found the manatee was at risk of losing more than 50% of its population in the near future. If they aren't in danger of losing at least 80% of their numbers, according to FWC, they don't deserve to be called "endangered."

The FWC’s listing criteria are based on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) extremely stringent, "one-size-fits-all-species" listing criteria, which are designed to address species in danger of extinction on a global scale and were never intended to be used in a regulatory framework. Despite reconvening a stakeholder’s panel, and making some minor modifications to the rule in April of last year, FWC has not quelled lasting concerns among experts and advocates that the criteria, as adopted, are inappropriate. Experts have also severely criticized the state for realigning the IUCN categories such that IUCN "critically endangered" equals FWC "endangered" and IUCN "endangered" equals FWC "threatened," thus shifting a species' classification to a lesser designation for no valid reason.

Earlier this year the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute released manatee mortality figures for 2005. Last year, there were 396 manatee deaths from all causes -- the second highest number ever recorded. Watercraft-related manatee mortality was the fourth highest on record with 80 deaths. The latest science shows that the southwest Florida subpopulation is in decline. Does this sound like a situation that warrants a decrease in protection?

Last year’s high mortality from all causes, including watercraft-related, is decisive proof that manatees still need the full protection of their endangered status. Human-related threats continue to increase, including the number of powerboats and rampant coastal development. Warm water sources necessary for manatees' survival in cold weather are also at risk of disappearing. Clearly, the Florida manatee should remain listed as endangered until these threats are under control and until the serious flaws in the current criteria are rectified.

Save the Manatee Club contends the FWC should adopt the federal ESA listing/delisting factors that are more flexible and species-specific and that address habitat stability and controlling threats to the species. At the very least, the state should not assign to a lower category a species that is listed as endangered at the federal level. FWC has not been receptive to the proposal. Typical of a bureaucracy, they cannot admit, despite all the input from outside experts, that they are just plain wrong. We've said it before and it bears repeating: conservationists will embrace downlisting when true recovery is achieved.

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