Whether the manatee is indigenous or not, it is here. Well, there.
Here in the Northeast, I see deer carcasses beside the road everyday
on the way to work.

In Lee County the manatee is in a very similar position. Just like your deer
population has exploded, so has the manatee population. Counts show almost
twice as many as they saw less than a decade ago. This is the dirty little
secret SMC and others try to sweep under the rug. The numbers are there to
delist the manatee but it is political correctness that stops it. If you are
willing to accept a drastic cut in your speed limits (like 25 mph on the
beltway) to save Bambi you have some credibility but if you are not willing
accept this, why load it on us.

'The Florida manatee (stellar sea cow) was hunted to extinction by Indians
and early settlers back in 1768. Years later, the West Indian variety was
imported for a purpose.'

As I understand it, it it the "west indian manatee" because it is from West
India, and brought to South florida because it would eat the Hyasishts
(spelling)

The mamel does not belong here, yet we are all worried about its existance,
witch interferes with boating?

Don't make sence to me.

sterling

I am actually a lot more interested in the environment than most of the manatee
huggers. I volunteer at DEP, I do water monitoring and take care of a beach
site. I am not opposed to trying to let manatees be but I don't think much of
what they are doing is actually helping. These manatee zones are set up by
polititians not scientists. They certainly don't actually take any manatee
habitat in consideration. It is just a question of saying they are doing
something so they can "mitigate" development somewhere else. It is just a
question of "x" square miles of "protection" in trade for raping another spot.
Both sides are actually being screwed and it is only the big money interests
that prevail.

Someone will become very rich when they invent a manatee warning
device. Why not you?

There are plenty of studies that say a high reving propeller is a good manatee
warning device. It is the slow ones they have trouble hearing. (low frequency
hearing weakness)
You also don't see many propeller scars with a skeg mark!
Local environmental conditions (cold water, viruses and red tide) still kill a
lot more of them than boats.
You just don't hear that much from SMC.
In 2002 there were 58 dead manatee in Lee County, 13 were killed by boats
according to Fish and Wildlife.
http://www.floridamarine.org/manatee...ch_summary.asp

Subject: Manatee protection
From:

As I understand it, it it the "west indian manatee" because it is from West
India, and brought to South florida because it would eat the Hyasishts
(spelling)

For better or worst, the Manatee is indigenous to Florida.

http://northflorida.fws.gov/manatee/...tive-facts.htm

Capt. Bill

In article ,
(LaBomba182) writes:
| Subject: Manatee protection
| From:
|
| As I understand it, it it the "west indian manatee" because it is from West
| India, and brought to South florida because it would eat the Hyasishts
| (spelling)
|
| For better or worst, the Manatee is indigenous to Florida.
|
| http://northflorida.fws.gov/manatee/...tive-facts.htm
|
| Capt. Bill
|
We have the story they were imported, they are native, and that they were native
but were exterminated so others were imported. And then there is the issue of
whether there are different species/subspecies/varieties.

None in Minnesota in the wild.

--

Del Cecchi

Personal Opinions Only

Just goes to show, you learn something every day. Thanks Bill