Manatees are listed as endangered and this might change in a few weeks. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is going to decide whether or not the manatees are going to remain listed as endangered. The service is planning on listing the manatees as threatened.
The agency wants to list the animal as threatened due to the fact that it started to recover. The number of manatees in Florida has reached a new record. There are more than 6,000 specimens. Until now, in Florida, there were 3,400 specimens.
This record number of manatees has been seen for the last 3 years. This means that the manatees are recovering and that the endangered status is too much for them. This means that the decision to list them as threatened is better for their recovery.
Despite the fact that this is a sign of recovery, the manatees should be watched and protected at all times. The number of manatees in Florida is affected by the cold waters in the winter and by motorboats that are found along the coastlines. In order to increase the number of manatees, Florida invests $2 million every year.
The Endangered Species List uses the endangered status for species that are facing extinction. The threatened status is used for animals that are likely to become endangered in the future. Many people believe that the manatees should maintain the same status, despite their numbers increasing. They believe that the species is not recovered and that they need more time before their status can be changed.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service mentioned that there are limited resources and that is why they have to focus on the animals that are considered endangered. When there are too many animals with this status, they can’t help them all. They have to list the manatees as threatened because they have recovered enough for the moment.
The agency also mentioned that this does not mean that the manatees will lose their protection. They are still going to be protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. We’ll just have to wait and see what the US Fish and Wildlife Service decides.
Do you think that the manatees should be listed as threatened? Do you think that they are recovered?
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