Released: April 18, 2000

A national coalition of 18 environmental and animal protection groups fighting to save the Florida manatee have filed a request for a preliminary injunction in Save the Manatee Club v. Ballard. This injunction would stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) from issuing any more destructive permits in areas described by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as "high risk areas" for manatees until greater, more effective protections for manatees are put into place.

"It's an emergency. Manatees are dying at record rates," said Judith Vallee, SMC Executive Director. "According to the state of Florida's preliminary data, 100 manatees have already died in the first three months of this year, and 37 manatee deaths are due to human-related causes -- most of which are from collisions with boats. While we have been making every effort to get proper enforcement of the law, the Corps and FWS approved a marina permit in critical habitat that is tantamount to a license to kill manatees. It's as if the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act never existed."

Plaintiffs' attorney Eric Glitzenstein expressed shock at the agencies' actions, saying, "Instead of taking steps to comply with their legal responsibilities to protect and conserve the manatee, the Corps and FWS are moving backwards by insisting on issuing even more permits for devastating development in critical manatee habitat, and without even complying with the most elementary environmental safeguards."

"Just several days ago -- with no advance notice to Save the Manatee Club or any of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit -- the Corps issued a permit for 180 new boat slips in a critical manatee area, relying on an unprecedented, flagrantly illegal, and supposedly suspended FWS policy, which essentially allows developers to pay for the right to kill manatees. After the agencies told this developer, Naples Bay Development Inc., that it could circumvent the Endangered Species Act simply by paying $450 per boat slip, we had no choice but to seek emergency injunctive relief from the Court," said Glitzenstein.

Save the Manatee Club Co-Chairman Fran Stallings said, "The Corps is issuing manatee hunting licenses that never expire. You've paid your money, now go ahead, build your marina in critical habitat without the necessary protection measures in place -- put all the boats you possibly can in this 'high risk' area for manatees. We had to file the injunction to stop this irresponsible and illogical permitting."

The Plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit, Save the Manatee Club v. Ballard, which seeks enforcement of existing laws to protect the Florida manatee are Save the Manatee Club, The Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife, International Wildlife Coalition, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, the Sierra Club, Animal Welfare Institute, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Citizens Association of Bonita Beach, the Pegasus Foundation, Responsible Growth Management Coalition, Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida, Florida Audubon Society, Florida Public Interest Research Group, Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society, Audubon Society of Southwest Florida, Inc., Biscayne Bay Foundation, and Florida Defenders of the Environment.