Last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission downgraded the listing of manatees as “endangered” to “threatened.” Don’t get me wrong: it’s great that their numbers have increased. Scientists have counted 3,116 manatees in Florida waters — up from 1,267 in 1991. But they also say the state’s manatee population is predicted to decrease 50 percent in the next five years because of habitat loss, boat collisions, and red tide blooms.
So, just so we’re all clear, the manatee is no longer on the brink of extinction — but is expected to be on the brink again in 2011? At first I thought I was the only one who believed the manatee should be considered endangered until such time as scientists think it’s likely that the population has recovered and can remain healthy. But then I saw that 17 environmental groups have already filed a petition with the state seeking to have the entire protection classification system revamped.
