Since the State of Floridas 2001 manatee count was higher than expected, why are you proceeding with the proposal to designate manatee refuges and sanctuaries?
A19: We are very pleased with this year’s count and see these numbers as indicative of the success of many long-term conservation efforts. However, collisions with watercraft and harassment actions that impede the use of warm water areas critical to manatee survival continue to impact manatees. Whether or not the manatee populations grows or declines is primarily dependent on the survival rate of adult manatees. The proposed manatee protection areas will help ensure sufficient adult survival. We reviewed the existing network of federal, state and local manatee protection areas and we identified gaps in the existing network and will be proposing appropriate measures to fill those gaps.
Related Questions
- Since the State of Floridas 2001 manatee count was higher than expected, why are you proceeding with the designation of additional manatee refuges and sanctuaries?
- Since the State of Floridas 2001 manatee count was higher than expected, why are you proceeding with the proposal to designate manatee refuges and sanctuaries?
- Since the state of Floridas 2001 manatee count was higher than expected, why is the Service proceeding with the Incidental Take Regulations?
