Watercraft-Related Manatee Deaths
Hit Record High in 2002

A manatee killed by a watercraft collision. (Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission)

For further information, contact:

Patti Thompson Director of Science and Conservation, Save the Manatee Club (SMC) Phone: 407-539-0990 E-mail: pthompson@savethemanatee.org	Sandra Clinger East Central Florida Regional Coordinator, SMC Phone: 321-385-9060 E-mail: sandysmc@cfl.rr.com
Patrick Rose Director, Government Relations Phone: 850-570-1373 cell, 850-297-5256 pager E-mail: ecopat@comcast.net	Suzanne Tarr, Staff Biologist Phone: 321-278-9072 (cell), 407-539-0990 E-mail: starr@savethemanatee.org

For Immediate Release: January 8, 2003

On January 8, 2003, scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) confirmed that 305 manatees died in state waters last year. Watercraft-related manatee mortality reached an all-time record high of 95 deaths or 31% of the total. These figures compare to 325 total and 81 watercraft deaths (25%) for the same time period in 2001, 272 total and 78 watercraft deaths (28%) for the same time period in 2000, and 280 total and 80 watercraft deaths (28%) for the five year average over the same time period.

“Human-related threats to manatees continue to increase and show no signs of abatement," said Patti Thompson, Director of Science and Conservation at Save the Manatee Club. Last year, 31% of manatee deaths were from collisions with boats. This is unacceptably high mortality attributed to just one cause when it is largely preventable.

Since the early 1990s, boat registration in Florida has more than doubled. Presently, there are over 900,000 boats registered in Florida and approximately 400,000 boats registered in other states using Florida’s waterways. "With more and more boats on Florida's waterways, we can expect increased manatee mortalities, and that trend will continue if we don’t have effective regulations, law enforcement and voluntary compliance, “ Thompson explained.

Statistics from the Florida Marine Research Institute show that most watercraft-related manatee deaths are attributed to impacts from the boat hull or lower unit of the motor rather than propeller cuts. Manatees are slow-moving mammals, traveling about three to five mph on average and must surface to breathe. Because they feed on aquatic vegetation, they prefer shallow waters where there is often not enough clearance for a boat hull to pass safely over a manatee’s back. Therefore, any fast-moving boat can injure or kill a manatee.

Special interest groups within the marine industry claim that more manatees are being killed because there are more manatees. However, scientific data presented at the Manatee Population Workshop in Gainesville in April 2002 does not support the notion that there is an increase in the manatee population. A panel of population experts, manatee scientists and managers did agree that there is no proper life history model at this time to determine whether the population is growing or not.

“It is callous and inhumane to suggest if there are more manatees, then it is okay for more of them to be injured or killed by watercraft," said Judith Vallee, Executive Director at Save the Manatee Club, commenting on the population issue. "Regardless of numbers, we should be considering the pain and suffering that is needlessly inflicted by boats. Manatees experience pain, just like humans. Manatees that are not killed outright from boat collisions often suffer from serious prolonged infections as a result of a boat hit, and calves may lose their mothers. We recognize and appreciate that most boaters are responsible, and we ask them to please slow down in manatee habitat and obey posted speed regulations as this is the best way to reduce the risk of watercraft-related injury and death."

There are some good general guidelines that boaters can follow:

• Wear polarized sunglasses; they can help eliminate the glare of the sun and can help you see below the water's surface.
  
  

• Stay in deep water channels and follow all posted boat speed regulations.

• Avoid boating over shallow seagrass beds where manatees might be feeding.

• Look for the manatee's snout, back, tail or flipper breaking the surface of the water; a swirl or a flat spot on the water signals a manatee may be swimming below.

• If you see a manatee when operating a powerboat, remain a safe distance away -- about 50 feet. If you want to observe the manatee, cut the motor, but don't drift over the animal.

• If you spot an injured, dead, tagged or orphaned manatee, or if you see a manatee that is being harassed, please call 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on your cellular phone or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio.

If you accidentally hit a manatee, please report it by calling 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on your cellular phone, or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio. You could save the manatee's life by reporting it, enabling rescue crews to treat the injured animal promptly," says Thompson.

Visit http://www.savethemanatee.org/boatertips.htm for manatee protection tips for boaters.

For more information on this topic and to obtain current manatee mortality statistics, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Marine Research Institute at http://www.floridamarine.org.