Dean Ferry

Manatees and Hurricane Katrina
Manatee researchers are skeptical of a reported sighting of a large group of manatees in Lake Pontchartrain. The sighting was not definitive, and it would be highly unlikely that there were that many manatees in the lake. They believe the sighting was most likely a school of fish. However, there have been some verified sightings in the lake in the past, and a boat survey did reveal a couple of manatees in the area before the hurricane struck.

Before hurricanes or major storms, manatees have been observed moving to protected areas. Some researchers think it is possible that they have some sense of the storm approaching. During a storm, all manatees have to do is sink to the bottom where the water is calm. Physiologically, they are able to stay underwater longer than we can and can stay submerged for up to 20 minutes. When they need air, they stick their noses above the surface of the water to get a breath and then "hunker" back down to the bottom again.

We have not received any reports of injured or dead manatees from that area. However, our staff has been in contact with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They reported that refuge and local natural resource staff have been checking the area for distressed animals and that rescue personnel flying in the area are also keeping an eye out for them as well.

Save the Manatee Club is ready to assist in the rescue of injured manatees, should the need arise. If you do get a report of an injured manatee in that area, please call Save the Manatee Club at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Pathobiology Lab at 727-893-2904.

I would think that every person in the USA would be more concerned about the HUMAN suffering going on in the Gulf Coast now!
Dean

Dean Ferry

Look out Volusia Co.

Volusia MPP Should Include "Manatee Protection"

The Issue:
Save the Manatee Club has been advocating for improved manatee protection, including boat speed zones, in Volusia County, Florida for years. Volusia County is one of the 13 "key" manatee counties that offer important feeding, resting and migratory areas for manatees. Historically, most of the human-related manatee mortality has occurred in these counties. In the past 10 years, Volusia County has seen the 4th highest number of watercraft-related manatee mortalities in Florida.

Through litigation, we successfully got the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enact slow speed zones in some areas, but much broader improvements to the speed zones are still needed to protect manatees from existing levels of boat traffic, not to mention the likelihood of increased numbers of boats.

Unfortunately, the Volusia County Manatee Protection Plan (MPP) is on the move again -- and not in a good way. This phase involves boat facility siting, and the proposed plan is still inadequate to protect manatees.

Our Blue Spring adoptees use Volusia County waters and need your help! Please let Ken Haddad, Executive Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, know that an MPP should include Manatee Protection! Add your comments below and fill in the information to the right.

CigDaze

I knew it was only a matter of time before those bastids got involved in the Katrina mess....wait until they catch wind of all the garbage being pumped back into the gulf.

CigDaze

Hey Dean, did you pick up your free banner yet?









Just kidding.

CigDaze

You know, I was flipping through my CFFW newsletter again this morning, and I came acrossed a line often used by the $MC. I'm paprphrasing here but it goes something like "our mission is to get the manatee population back to a self-sustaining status..." Or something like.

But I've heard them spewing that line many times before. What the hell does that actually mean?? That's not a mission statement or even a goal. It's ambiguous garbage. When will they have succeeded? When there are 4000 manatees? 5000? 10000? 15000? There's no end in sight.

And what happens when we do have that many? They'll need to eat, and have shelter? Has anyone ever looked into how much and what 10,000 manatees need to eat? What will happen to the fish that depend on the same sea-grass? And the predatory fish? Birds?

Doesn't seem like their whole mission is very well defined!

Alright, there's my rant for the day.

Chris288

Not to mention how much " waste " they produce !!!

Dean Ferry

CD,
$MC tried to give me one of those signs a few years ago, when I was still trailering my boat! I looked the gal in the face and said, "Get away from me with that Propoganda"!!!!!
Dean

CigDaze

Good point. Adults can consume as much as 1000# a day...What goes in, must come out. Anyone want to swim in the rivers?

That's funny, Dean.