Save the Manatee by Dazzle Blog entry

Please, sign the petition via any one of the links below. It will take only a moment and you will have done something glorious for the earth. The manatee has been endangered for many years down here in Florida due to careless apathy and still their numbers continue to dwindle and yet Bush wants to downlist the manatee from the endangered position to the merely threatened position. The fact is, they are endangered and if radical steps are not taken soon, very soon, the manatee will disappear forever. They are so endearingly cute and surprisingly graceful inspite of their awkward appearance and quite playful creatures. Please help save them.

Thank you ever so much,

~ Dazzle

Faced with the largest number of manatee deaths in a decade, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering an inconceivable reaction: downlisting the manatee, a gentle creature known to body surf or barrel roll when playing, from endangered to threatened. Act Now!

Last year was the second highest manatee mortality year on record. Just in the last five years, 1682 manatees have died in Florida waters and of those, 398 were killed by boats. That is almost an 18% increase over the previous five-year period. Furthermore, state scientists estimate the manatee population could drop by half in the next 50 years because of habitat loss, red tide poisoning and boat collisions.

This latest move is a triumph of politics over science. Manatees are poised to be downlisted regardless of how they are faring in the wild because of a calculated effort by special interest groups opposed to boat speed zones and restrictions on development. Speak Out!

And Gov. Bush's conservation commission — he appointed the members — doesn't offer wildlife much hope for protection. Commissioners include a banker, a real-estate investor, a ranch owner, a developer, and a vice president of the St. Joe Co., Florida's largest landowner. Another belongs to the Safari Club International, which offers recipes for antelope, bear, moose and other wild game on its Web site.

Later this summer, the FFWCC will vote to finalize the manatee’s listing status. Gov. Bush once called the manatee his favorite animal. Urge him to take a stand and ensure that protections for the manatee remain in place.

Thank you for making a difference today,

Agata Gussmann
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team