Florida Bill Will Limit Manatee Protection, Fund Yet More "Studies" [View All]

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - "A bill that would ease new manatee regulations in some areas, start a study on factors influencing the sea cow's population and assess the effectiveness of slow-speed zones and manatee protection signs in state waters was defended by its sponsor Monday.

Still, the bill (SB 540) pushed by Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, faces criticism from environmental advocates, who say it could foil the endangered species' recovery. The boating industry, however, supports the proposal.

Under the bill, if manatees in a particular region meet biological goals, protections in that area would be deemed sufficient - and new slow-speed boating zones may not have to be created. The Senate Committee on Natural Resources heard debate over the bill Monday, but adjourned when it lost a quorum for the third time and did not take a vote. A House committee is scheduled to hear a similar bill (HB 633) Tuesday.

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But others objected to the lack of protections once manatees reached a certain count. "Once you get to that number, then it's open season again," said Eric Draper, policy director for Audubon of Florida. "If this were just a study, we would have no problem with the bill."

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