Manatee club calls for boaters’ help
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 Jan. 1, more than 600 manatees have died. That’s more than 10 percent 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 percent 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 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 by regular mail at 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,” he said.
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. Tripp is also recommending that recreational boaters carry up-to-date navigation charts aboard their vessels to avoid shallow areas where manatees feed and rest.
For more information on endangered manatees, the Adopt-A-Manatee program, or to sign up for the Club’s free e-newsletter, visit the Club’s website at www.savethemanatee.org. Look for “Manatee Protection Tips for Boaters” on the Club’s website at www.savethemanatee.org/boatertips.htm.