Feds Seek Info on Manatee Crime

[Chotu]

Yes. The toxic algae is pretty strong this year.

And I haven’t seen a single manatee all year long WITHOUT propeller marks on its back.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Manatees are dying in droves this year. Here's why the die-offs spell trouble for Florida

Gord,
Thanks for posting this. Really sad. Florida will do nothing effective to halt this. Normally ineffectual government exacerbated by a governor gunning for national office. If the choice is between saving the manatees or a national election, those creatures don't stand a chance.

[GordMay]

Thirsty Manatee Takes a Drink From a Boat Engine
➥ https://youtu.be/o4q-HAEc2f0
➥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4q-HAEc2f0

[GordMay]

I’m ashamed to admit, that I’ve done this myself [At the time, long ago, I didn't know any better].
➥ https://youtu.be/MuIHNGo8RQM
➥ https://youtu.be/MzDG5eVw4d0

BUT:
“Why Is It Wrong to Give Food or Water to Manatees?”
As adorable as they are, manatees are wild animals and should never be given food or water.
Many people don’t realize that it is wrong to give food or water to manatees. Despite their appeal, these actions could alter manatees’ behavior and put them in harm’s way.
More ➥ https://www.savethemanatee.org/manat...r-to-manatees/


Feeding, watering manatees is illegal
Florida ➥ https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-c...dlife/manatee/
South Carolina ➥ https://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/yr2014/a...4_manatee.html

Citrus County is the only place in the United States where people can legally swim with wild manatees in their natural habitat; but “it is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any manatee.”
In other words, don’t even think about touching, chasing or feeding them.
➥ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/trave...ees-180971775/


From the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission [FWC]

A boater’s guide to living with Florida Manatees
➥ https://myfwc.com/media/7327/boaters...g-manatees.pdf

Guidelines for Viewing Manatees
➥ https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife...ng-guidelines/

[billdomb]

Points well-taken; it's illegal to feed 'em.

And now, what are the reports of all the manatee deaths: lack of food!

Yep, let's keep the ecology pristine and kill 'em off. Makes sense.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by billdomb

Points well-taken; it's illegal to feed 'em.
And now, what are the reports of all the manatee deaths: lack of food!

Yep, let's keep the ecology pristine and kill 'em off. Makes sense.

I don't think that the situation [nor it's solution] is nearly as simple [one dimensional] as you'd have us believe.

One of the options is feeding the Manatee.
While no decision has been made, federal and state wildlife officials held several meetings this year, to weigh the pros and cons of giving non-native freshwater plants to manatees this winter.
But restoring water quality, to the ailing the Indian River lagoon, is the top priority.


Manatee Mortality Event Along The East Coast: 2020-2021
Decades of seagrass loss, from repeated algal blooms in the Indian River lagoon [mostly a result of human pollution carried by rainfall runoff] has turned once lush meadows into barren moonscapes.
“... Researchers have attributed this UME to starvation due to the lack or seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon. In recent years, poor water quality in the Lagoon has led to harmful algal blooms and widespread seagrass loss ...”
➥ https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/r...-response/ume/

Spike in Florida Manatee Deaths Linked to Human Activity, Loss of Food Sources
➥ https://www.ecowatch.com/manatee-dea...651022287.html
Florida Manatees Die in Record Numbers From Lack of Food
➥ https://www.ecowatch.com/florida-man...653756211.html

[Dave22q]

It is illegal to feed bears in Yellowstone because they may see people as a food source and become dangerous. It is illegal to bait deer in most states because it is not considered sporting or fair to other hunters. It is illegal to feed manatees because some city bred, wild eyed, fact free, Liberal "environmentalist" snuck it into a regulation the almost nobody read.
It is true that animals will go to a known food source. They may well return to a marina where they found food. So what? Manatees are killed by moving boats because they do not get out of the way not because they are attracted by them. Feeding them in a marina does absolutely no harm. The practice should be encouraged especially if their natural food sources are in short supply.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by billdomb

Points well-taken; it's illegal to feed 'em.

And now, what are the reports of all the manatee deaths: lack of food!

Yep, let's keep the ecology pristine and kill 'em off. Makes sense.

Think you read it wrong there buddy.
A lack of quality of environment has led to sea grass depletion, and increase of toxic alge bloom.
Apparently, the water quality in the Indian river lagoon is causing problems.
My Father lived in Vero and I've been to IRL many times.
A lack of State leadership would be my guess, considering the foolishness shown to the People Of Florida, concerning health and Environment.
2011
Boatyarddog

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

It is illegal to feed bears in Yellowstone because they may see people as a food source and become dangerous. It is illegal to bait deer in most states because it is not considered sporting or fair to other hunters. It is illegal to feed manatees because some city bred, wild eyed, fact free, Liberal "environmentalist" snuck it into a regulation the almost nobody read.
It is true that animals will go to a known food source. They may well return to a marina where they found food. So what? Manatees are killed by moving boats because they do not get out of the way not because they are attracted by them. Feeding them in a marina does absolutely no harm. The practice should be encouraged especially if their natural food sources are in short supply.

Funny how you've gone from " wild eyed Liberial Environmentalist" being the Problem by baiting Deer.

"To the practice of feeding the wild animals ought to be encouraged."
Your just angry.

What liberal got to do with anything, you saying you can prove liberals have anything to do with Manatee Death?
Your post should be deleted.

BS brother
Typical Conservative Hypocrisy.

Political BS, is the Conservatives Truth these days,
The Entire Nation Sees it.
Nobody likes it.

Boatyarddog

[jeanathon]

"As adorable as they are, manatees are wild animals and should never be given food or water."


How in the F$#k do you give a manatee water???
Edit:
Okay I did not see the video above about watering. Still have to wonder about it.

[Bill Seal]

" You can't feed dolphins 'cause it'll teach them to depend on the dolphin watch boats and they'll starve to death if the boats don't come". Like they're so stupid they don't know that fishing boats are where the buffets are. A couple of buckets of chum is not going to change their feeding habits.

[Mike OReilly]

This is a rather amusing bun fight. There aren't many manatees where I've cruised, but one should never feed wild animals because doing so habituates them to being close to us.

Eventually they become a nuisance or a danger or less wary of our speeding crafts -- and then they die. So this is why you shouldn't feed a wild animal.

I gotta say Dave, it's amusing you blame the manatees for not getting out of the way of our speeding boats. Aren't boats supposed to go slowly through their territory? Isn't it the boater's fault?

Regardless, by feeding them you habituate them to being around humans. And eventually you get some idiot going too fast, and the manatee dies. Don't feed them. But if you want to help them, assist in the rehabilitation of their habitat. That would truly be a kindness.

[dannc]

Cleaning up the Everglades, or trying to do so, as been going on for DECADES with billions of dollars being being spent. When I left Florida decades ago, there was a plan in place to filter the water from The Lake through water management areas. The water has too much nutrients so the plan was to flow the water into diked water management areas full of Cat tails which would remove the nutrients before the water went into the main areas of the Everglades.

Environmental groups did not like this plan and sued. As a result, the water was dumped into the St Lucie river instead of south into the Everglades. This has caused the blooms in the Indian River, killed off the grass, and now threatens the Manatees. Now there is a plan to feed the Manatees so they do not starve.

Now the Indian River has too much nutrient rich waters and the Everglades does not have enough water.

Later,
Dan

[Manateeman]

University of Florida has a Third Grade Manatee Curriculum on calculating how much a manatee would eat based on body weight.
My manatee crew never take any food from strangers as they have their own pizza oven onboard. They dutifully flatten ever beer can to TIG into aluminum sail boats. Thus, per crew member, average weight 1,000 lbs = 100 pounds of food per day. 40 lbs of mixed salad = one crate romaine lettuce. 60 pounds of pizza, = 30 pizzas per day. All calculations for beer and water are suspect.
Romain costs $ 50. Pizza $300. Beer $100 per day.
Total gas produced and compressed into LNG 100 gallons per day. $3/gal =$300
Aluminum recycled $25 per day.
Since they use waste heat to ferment their domestic beer, they would have a positive cash flow from selling brewers waste to chicken farmers.
Manatee biscuit might have a future as slow nitrogen release fertilizer.
Not to mention patent royalties once their pizza bazooka is finished.
Hope this answered your questions.
Merry Christmas.
Captain Mark

[Sand crab]

Your crew eats salads? Freak show!