Save Our Manatees!
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Manatees are starving again this year; hundreds will die because of starvation.
The cause? Pollution from farms, urban run-off, and other sources has wiped out the manatee food source— seagrass. Now, wildlife officials from the state and federal government have re-started a feeding program, which feeds thousands of pounds of lettuce to the starving manatees.
WHY DOES THIS PETITION MATTER?
It begins to undo some of the environmental damage done under the Trump Administration, including reducing species protections for manatees by reclassifying them in 2017 as “threatened” rather than “endangered.”.
WHAT DOES THE RECLASSIFICATION MEAN?
In 2018, the Trump administration compounded the damage by changing the Endangered Species Act --so that critical habitats shrunk and "threatened species" no longer automatically receive the same protections as "endangered species".
The results have been devastating;
| 2022- Recorded 765 manatee deaths
| ||
| 2021- Recorded 1,101 manatee deaths | ||
| 2020- Recorded 637 manatee deaths | ||
| 2019- Recorded 607 manatee deaths. | ||
| 2018- Recorded 824 manatee deaths | ||
| 2017- Recorded 538 manatee deaths |
In fact, many experts believe that the reclassification was premature. Plus, removing the manatee from the list isn't a trivial matter: it also removes federal money.
Our manatees are starving and deserve greater protections.
Add your name: Put Manatees Back on the Endangered Species List!
Sponsored by
To:
US Fish and Wildlife Service
From:
[Your Name]
It is crucial that we reclassify Florida's manatees as "endangered" in order to ensure their survival.
The recent manatee die-off has already claimed over 12% of their population, and this trend must be halted immediately. Manatees are a vital part of Florida's ecosystems, serving as a keystone species that supports the health of other plants and animals. The dramatic increase in manatee deaths is a clear sign that something is seriously wrong and requires immediate action.
By returning the manatee's status to "endangered," we can provide them with the Federal protections and funding afforded by The Endangered Species Act. It is vital that we act now to protect these important animals.