tagged w/ boats kill manatees
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The last of the big summer holidays is almost here. An upswing in boating traffic is expected throughout the long Labor Day weekend, and Save the Manatee Club is urging the boating community to be extra vigilant, especially in light of the crises manatees have already had to deal with this year.
“The events of 2010 have been tragic for the entire manatee population, which has been dealt one terrible blow after another,” said Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club’s Executive Director.
“Last year’s all-time record for total mortality has already been shattered this year. Since January 1st, over 600 manatees have died. That’s more than 10% of the entire known population! Nearly half died as a result of Florida’s unprecedented cold winter.
Although the Deepwater Horizon Well is sealed, the unprecedented oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico remains a major threat to manatees, and the large variety of marine and freshwater vegetation upon which they depend. Oil can directly pollute the seagrasses and other vegetation that manatees and other wildlife depend on for their very survival and can also block sunlight required for vegetation to grow. We also have substantial concerns regarding massive amounts of chemical dispersants that have been pumped and sprayed to break up the oil and need to watch for ill effects on endangered manatees and other wildlife.
A recent report by Georgia Sea Grant indicates that as much as 79% of the oil that was spilled remains in the Gulf, and we are still just one storm away from even more serious consequences.”
Further, last year a record number of manatees were killed by boat strikes. Recent manatee mortality statistics from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission reveal that deaths from boat strikes in 2010 are keeping pace with prior years.
“We feel it’s vital to work with the boating community to help minimize watercraft-related manatee injuries and deaths,” said Dr. Katie Tripp, Director of Science and Conservation for Save the Manatee Club.
“We believe in empowering the boating community so that each boater is aware of his or her ability to protect manatees by always looking out for them while safely enjoying Florida’s beautiful waterways.”
The Club produces and distributes a variety of free public awareness materials designed to keep the waterways safer for Florida’s endangered manatees. Florida boaters can request bright yellow waterproof boating banners to alert other boaters when manatees are in the area.
There are also newly designed shoreline property signs which encourage boaters to keep it slow, and it also features the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) hotline number (1-888-404-3922) for reporting injured manatees. Plus, the new matching boating decal can be placed on all Florida watercraft, from kayaks to jet skis.
Requests for the banners, signs, and decals can be sent via e-mail to education@savethemanatee.org, by calling toll free at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646), or by contacting:
Save the Manatee Club
500 N. Maitland Ave.,
Maitland, FL, 32751.
Dr. Tripp asks Florida boaters to help with manatee protection this Labor Day weekend by watching out for the meandering marine mammals on their travels. “Slow down if manatees are sighted, follow posted boat speed regulations at all times, and stay in deep water channels whenever possible.”
Those who see an injured, dead, tagged or orphaned manatee, or a manatee who is being harassed, are asked to call the FWC hotline number at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on cellular phones, or use VHF Channel 16 on marine radios. She is also recommending that recreational boaters carry up-to-date navigation charts aboard their vessels to avoid shallow areas where manatees feed and rest.
http://www.savethemanatee.org/news_pr_labor_day_10.html
For further information or to arrange an interview with one of the Club’s biologists, contact:
Janice Nearing
Director of Public Relations
Phone: (407) 539-0990
E-mail: jnearing@savethemanatee.org
Note: The Club's yellow boating banner is free to boaters & available upon request.
"PLEASE SLOW - MANATEES BELOW" (banner)The last of the big summer holidays is almost here. An upswing in boating traffic is... more
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As the first holiday weekend of the summer season approaches, we have this boating safety reminder from Save the Manatee Club:
Memorial Day traditionally signals the start of the summer boating season. Recreational boaters during the holiday weekend are reminded to watch out for manatees traveling, resting, feeding and playing in waterways.
Last year, a record-setting 97 manatees were killed by boat strikes in Florida waters. Save the Manatee Club has issued a new boating decal and a redesigned shoreline property sign that says “Slow Please.”
“We wanted to create something that would serve as a constant reminder for boaters to be on the lookout for manatees and also provide the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s hotline number (1-888-404-3922) for reporting manatees in distress,” said Katie Tripp, the club’s director of science and conservation.
Save the Manatee Club is distributing the signs to Florida shoreline property owners and decals to boaters. Florida boaters can also request a free “Please Slow: Manatees Below” waterproof, bright yellow banner to alert other boaters when manatees are present in the area.
To obtain the free decals, signs and banners, contact Save the Manatee Club at education@savethemanatee.org, at 500 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751, or 1-800-432-5646.
To further safeguard manatees, the club says boaters should follow all posted boat speed regulations, slow down if manatees are in the vicinity, and stay in deep water channels when possible. If you see an injured, dead, tagged or orphaned manatee, or a manatee that is being harassed, call the wildlife commission 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on your cellular phone, or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_lifestyle_animal/2010/05/memorial-day-remember-the-manatees.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AnimalCrazy+%28Animal+Crazy%29As the first holiday weekend of the summer season approaches, we have this boating... more
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TAMPA, FL -- Florida Fish and Wildlife leaders are urging boaters to be on the lookout for manatees on the move.
As the temperature rises and waters warm, the endangered species will start migrating to coastal areas in search of food - making them more vulnerable to run-ins with boaters.
The FWC is asking that boaters follow posted speed zones, especially so in manatee habitat locations.
Boaters can also help manatees have a safe migration by staying in marked channels and wearing polarized sunglasses to improve vision.
http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/story/Boaters-urged-to-watch-for-migrating-manatees/r29hBvb-s0Cf2-JVxynyUg.cspxTAMPA, FL -- Florida Fish and Wildlife leaders are urging boaters to be on the lookout... more
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The general consensus on 2009 is that it was a lousy year for human beings. The same can be said for two of Florida's most beloved endangered species -- the manatee and the Florida panther.
Both suffered record fatalities in 2009, showing that state wildlife officials have to do more to protect them, especially from their worst enemy: human beings.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/1413135.html#none
http://www.savethemanatee.orgThe general consensus on 2009 is that it was a lousy year for human beings. The same... more
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Federal Study: Manatee Death Rate Is Seven Times Sustainable Level
Boat Strikes Are Preventing Species' Recovery
SAN FRANCISCO— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized new stock assessments for manatees that puts the population of Florida manatees at about 3,800 and a Puerto Rico population at 72. The stock-assessment reports resulted from settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity that sought updated assessments, since the Service had flouted its duty under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to publish yearly reports for more than a decade.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service’s population assessment shows that boats are carelessly killing manatees,” said Miyoko Sakashita, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Clearly, far too little is being done to protect these endangered manatees in Florida.”
According to the Service’s stock-assessment report on the Florida manatee population, each year about 87 manatees are killed by humans in the state. This is more than seven times the number of manatees that the Service estimates can be killed without impairing the species’ recovery. Boats are the primary threat to manatees, which are frequently struck and killed, or seriously injured, by speeding vessels. Almost 90 percent of the manatees killed by humans were a result of such boat strikes. Manatees are also threatened by water-diversion structures such as dams and entanglement in marine debris, including derelict fishing gear.
“The one thing everyone should be able to agree on is that manatees in Florida and Puerto Rico need more protection from boat collisions to allow them to survive and recover,” said Sakashita.
Stock assessments are required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are meant to be used as the basis for management decisions such as those permitting the killing or harassment of the animals by commercial fisheries, oil and gas exploration, boating and shipping, and military exercises.
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The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit conservation organization with more than 240,000 members and online activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. http://twww.biologicaldiversity.org
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Descriptions of Manatee Death Categories - Manatee deaths are broken down into eight categories based on gross, histological, and microbiological findings.
The Top 3 Causes of Manatee Death (NOTE - all are PREVENTABLE)
Watercraft: Manatees hit by boats, barges or any type of watercraft. Death may result from propeller wounds, impact, crushing, or any combination of the three.
Crushed/Drowned in Flood Gate or Canal Lock: Manatees killed by crushing or asphyxiation in flood gates and canal locks.
Other Human-Related: Manatee deaths caused by vandalism, poaching, entrapment in pipes and culverts, complications due to entanglement in ropes, lines, and nets, or ingestion of fishing gear or debris.
More Resources, Information & Links
Quantitative Threats Analysis for the Florida Manatee, http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/manatee/, authored by U.S. Geological Survey and FWC researchers.) http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/manatee/
NEWS RELEASE:
12.5% of all Florida manatees killed in 2009
As many as 419 manatees have been found dead since Jan. 1, the highest number on record for a calendar year.http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/125-of-all-florida-manatees-killed-in-2009
FWC documents record number of manatee deaths http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/09/statewide/News_09_X_ManateeDeaths09.htm
2009 Preliminary Manatee Mortality Report, October 1-December 11 (80 kb)
http://research.myfwc.com/engine/download_redirection_process.asp?file=Dec21.pdf&objid=19105&dltype=article
http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=6780
VIDEOS & LINKS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbCPiD1NjeQ
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/manatee.phpFederal Study: Manatee Death Rate Is Seven Times Sustainable Level
Boat Strikes Are... more
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