Environmental radical set up a petition on Monday to once again list manatees as endanger , as 100 of the dear sea cattle die from famishment .
Thepetition filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceargues that the manatees should not have beentaken off the endangered species listback in 2017 . Since their remotion from the list , manatee population have rapidly decreased . From 2017 to 2019 , the Florida manatee universe has fall by about 6 % annually , the petition explained .
This sharp downslope follow from several factors , a major one being the loss of seagrass beds along the province ’s coast . contamination from leaking infected tanks , ontogenesis , and fertiliser runoff has contributed to alga flush that have pour down off seagrass , theAssociated Press reported . “ In the Indian River Lagoon on Florida ’s east coast , excessive alimental pollution has cause alga blooms that have wholly uproot seagrasses from 58 % of their premature domain between 2011 and 2019 , ” the petition enjoin . Recreational activity along the coast have also run to boat strikes that wound and kill Trichechus manatus , theTampa Bay Times reported .
A manatee swims among seagrass in the Homosassa River on 5 December 2024 in Homosassa, Florida.Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)
1,100 Florida Trichechus manatus died in 2021 , allot to data from theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission . And 2022 has n’t been much better : As of November 4 , a recorded 735 manatees have died this year .
preservation groups and Florida agencies have implemented different strategy to protect the imperiled manatees . Late last year , state official announceda lettuce feeding programto help manatee survive the loss of seagrass . Earlier this year , the state had toextend the feeding programbecause the gentle giants were still starving . Florida officials will feed manatees lettuce yet again this class to avoid more malnutrition die - offs , theTampa Bay Times latterly reported .
But tossing lettuce to these hefty sea mammalian was n’t supposed to be a farsighted - term answer , and it does n’t call the pollution that is destroying seagrass seam along the Florida coast . The preservation group behind this hebdomad ’s petition argue that putting the species back on the endangered list will enable agency to have the insurance policy and resource need to further protect the manatee . “ survive regulation do not adequately protect manatee . In parts of Florida and other country in the species ’ range , recreational users harass manatees , and outside the United States , manatee still face poaching , ” the petition said .
Vertebrates
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