Manatee No Longer An Endangered Species (miamiherald.com) 89
An anonymous reader quotes the Miami Herald:
The manatee -- for decades the poster mammal for environmental decline in Florida -- is officially no longer an endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday that the manatee will instead be designated "threatened" -- a status change that reflects a boom in population over the last decade. In February, Florida wildlife managers released preliminary results of an annual count that recorded 6,620 manatees lumbering in the warm waters of Florida's lagoons, springs and canals... "We believe this is a devastating blow to manatees," Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club, said in a statement. "A federal reclassification at this time will seriously undermine the chances of securing the manatee's long- term survival."
It was the third consecutive year to see an increase in the estimated population of manatees.
It was the third consecutive year to see an increase in the estimated population of manatees.
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the entire Slashdot staff being comprised of manatees which arrange "idea balls" to come up with headlines
I didn't even realize that Cowboy Neal was still around!
Fi. Na. Lee! (Score:2)
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"We don't serve sea cow burgers. You insensitive clod!"
Regards,
The Manatee
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What are you talking about, nerds love mermaids!
Oh the huge manatee (Score:1)
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Everyone thought Donald was after the Muslims and Mexicans, but it was just a ruse to distract the American people from the fact that his #1 political agenda is to kill off those fat fuck manatees. Don't tell anyone, but I have also seen drafts of executive orders that will effectively end fire ants, parakeets, and rainy days.
Re:Oh the huge manatee (Score:4, Insightful)
If DT can effectively end fire ants, I will personally kiss the ring.
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No! Not rainy days! Laying in bed screwing around on a rainy day is heaven on earth. Don't take that away. Fire ants? Please wipe them out.
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That's why President Trump got my vote.
Anything that looks like Rosie O'Donnell needs to be removed from existence.
Awww... Pwetious witwe manatee snowlakes... (Score:1)
...got thewe witwe fewengs huwt...
Chill out dudes. Trump won. Enjoy!
Go the beach. Have a few beers. Drive around chanting "TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!"
Just don't forget your "Not a manatee - a Trump supporter making America great again!" laminated poster.
And your MAGA cap. Skin cancer and sun strokes are a REAL thing, whether you believe in science or not.
We wouldn't want you to get any of those and be forced to use any of that nasty Obama's care now would we?
Won't someone please think of the snowflakes!!! (Score:2)
Awww... Does a little snowflake need a safe space from the big bad internet making fun of its manatee-like figure?
Or is the little snowflake still sore from all the "winning" in its life?
.
There.
That's the worlds smallest string orchestra playing Mozart [youtube.com] for all the precious little whining snowflake manatees out there.
If you put your ear to the monitor you can almost hear it.
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Considering that they published a twelve month finding [federalregister.gov] on the proposal to reclassify at the beginning of 2016, no, it probably can't be blamed on the Trump administration.
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Quit trying to confuse the issue with facts. We know The Donald was behind this!
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increase in population. Seriously though, is this just the new administration's doing?
Trump's policies on climate change should help the manatees. They benefit from warmer temperatures, and will be able to expand their range northward.
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The reclassification proposal came on January 7, 2017 [fws.gov] - before Trump was inaugurated. This is the Obama US Fish and Wildlife Administration's proposal, not Trump's. It simply was approved now.
This took two seconds to Google. Not everything in the world needs to be seen through the lens of Trump.
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You're forgetting the #1 rule of politics for anybody is off of the deep end:
If the guy you didn't vote for is in office, then suddenly the country sucks now and everything is his fault.
Meanwhile nobody else really gives a fuck.
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Agreed. 45's administration is setting out to commit so much willful evil that it makes no sense to "blame" this on his administration. If they arrived at this conclusion based on previous policies and guidelines that the population growth is such that the species is not in any danger of going extinct it is rather silly to "blame" 45 for this reclassification.
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Anyone who thought manatees were endangered hasn't been to Florida in the past 40 years. They're everywhere!
Patrick (Score:5, Insightful)
> a status change that reflects a boom in population over the last decade.
> "We believe this is a devastating blow to manatees," Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club, said in a statement.
Patrick sounds like a really fun guy -- always looking at the positive side of things.
Re: Patrick (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: Patrick (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: Patrick (Score:5, Informative)
His salary was $86,192 [charitynavigator.org] in 2014. Patrick is effectively the entire administrative expense of the Save the Manatee Club (9.9% of the budget is taken up by administrative expenses, 7.13% of the budget is Patrick's salary). There are 8 additional "staff" positions [savethemanatee.org] - they seem to be a combination of volunteers or are compensated under "fund raising" or "program" expenses.
I'd say this is probably his major source of income. It's a small organization (around $1.4M) and seems to do good work, but its income flow is entirely dependent on donors that are concerned about the status of the manatee.
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Well, how much could the 8 produce? Patrick Rose is obviously a waste of protoplasm.
Re:Patrick (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is that just a couple of years ago manatees were dying off in large numbers—there were losses in some years of something like 30% of the total population, as a result of unusually cold waters. The current population peak coincides with a period of unusually warm water following El Niño. It's possible with global warming that that temperature trend will continue, but by no means guaranteed. So taking them off the endangered species list is premature. A population of 6000 is not exactly huge.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Yes.
This is why they were moved the the Threatened list and off the Endangered list.
They were not moved to the Yummy Please Eat As Many As You Want list.
Yet another reason to celebrate global warming: the manatees are saved! I never understood why the pro-cold-planet people have been trying to kill off the manatees for decades. They're harmless.
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They're harmless.
I wouldn't say that -- just how many more family guy episodes do we need?
Why not listen to the experts? (Score:2)
So taking them off the endangered species list is premature. A population of 6000 is not exactly huge.
Perhaps not but perhaps it is worth relying on the experts who actually have some experience in managing endangered species and who have actually done the population studies rather than relying on a gut reaction that a population of 6,000 is too small? That is not how science is done and it's not like the experts have a vested interest in seeing the manatees die off. In fact I would argue they are strongly motivated to have them remain as endangered since they are going to look really incompetent if they h
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Well, everybody agrees a population of 6000 is too small.
They didn't get delisted, they got their classification changed from "endangered" to "threatened." They're still "on the endangered species list," because that list has a bunch of different classifications, and "threatened" is still one of the ones that receives protections.
It just means that instead of being right on the brink of extinction, now they still needing help for their longterm survival.
There were only "a few hundred" at one point, and the
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Patrick's club looks like a pretty slick operation. [savethemanatee.org]. Guess with the beasts no longer on the Endangered Species List he'll prolly sell a lot less Manatee Merch [shopsavethemanatee.org]. Sounds like this may be a devastating blow to his income as well... Wait, you don't suppose that's why he's so upset, do you...? Nah, couldn't be...
They're still on the Endangered Species List, they're just changing categories on that list. Whether that change will affect the bottom line of his charity, who can say? But it may change the criminal penalties involved for people who mess with manatees (I am no expert on the subject, I could be wrong).
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And what about Patrick's "devastating blow to manatees" comment.
It is very hard to deliver a blow of any magnitude to a manatee because they're in the water. And they're covered with fat so your fist just sinks in.
Sometimes when I'm boating and see one of those fat fucks floating around, I get so pissed off I jump on it with both feet. They don't even turn to look at me.
"Devasting blow" my ass. I bet he's never even tried to punch a manatee in the face. It's almost a waste of time.
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You know way too much about blowing aquatic mammals.
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> a status change that reflects a boom in population over the last decade.
> "We believe this is a devastating blow to manatees," Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club, said in a statement
According to Patrick, no matter what happens to the manatee population, it's a bad thing, lol.
Population shrinks = Bad Thing.
Population stays the same = Bad Thing.
Population grows = Bad Thing.
The only solution is to wipe them all out so we don't have to worry about them.
Re: Patrick (Score:2)
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Because environmentalists can NEVER see the bright side of anything.
Uncompromising, humorless: the left.
Good News Everyone (Score:2)
The Manatees are rebounding! People Eating Tasty Animals approves!
"a devastating blow to manatees" (Score:5, Informative)
Well, a devastating blow to people who have invested their entire lives in telling people that manatees are dying off.
Look, it's fine. We know about them, we figured out how not to kill them by accident.
You did a good thing.
Now, it's time to scale back the fearmongering just a bit.
Re:"a devastating blow to manatees" (Score:5, Interesting)
While I'm a strong supporter for saving endangered species, there hopefully comes a point when any endangered species isn't endangered anymore. It takes time and resources to protect endangered species, and when you can call your job a success and strike one off the list as done, you do so in order to direct your resources at the next needy species. There's only so much to go around, and you need to put it where it will do the most good.
If lowering their protection now results in a significant decline, they'll get their name back on the list. But until then, there are many more in need of that assistance.
And to the gentleman that's upset about the lift and says there aren't enough of them, I ask you, how many is enough? Can you put a number on it? Do you even have a number in mind? The EPA etc have entire divisions of bean counters whose job is to run the numbers and calculate the risks when deciding where to spend their money and dedicate their resources - they're not just pulling this one out of a hat. You can count on this decision being the result of examining the numbers closely, and that beats any activist's armchair-quarterbacking on the issue.
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No, it's really not. Do you live in Florida? Because you can sit down and shut the fuck up otherwise. The restrictions here are common sense and rarely, if EVER, cause problems for anyone other than dickheads who like to mess with wildlife.
Re:"a devastating blow to manatees" (Score:5, Insightful)
I do live in Florida.
And I do support the common sense restrictions on things like speedboats in areas where manatees live, and laws keeping people from annoying them.
You can stop talking now.
I probably shouldn't say this (Score:5, Funny)
But does this mean I can have a manatee steak now?
They're often referred to as sea cows.
I love steak and I love seafood. Maybe this would be the perfect meal.
I'm glad they're off the endangered species list though. This is good news whether or not it means I can every eat one. I don't expect to see it on a menu anytime soon. They are cool creatures.
Re: I probably shouldn't say this (Score:1)
No muscle, just blubber :(
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Fish have the highest feed to meat ratio. That's where the money is at. More fish meat per pound of food. Read some of the innovative ways they grow Tilapia.
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Tilapia is one of my least favorite fish. It always tastes dirty to me.
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You'll never eat tilapia again if you find out what they feed it.
What, ground up chicken and insects? The chicken is weird, I'd prefer they avoid that. But insects are good sources of protein. Oh, you mean Tilapia from China. You buy food from China? What kind of nutcase are you? Enjoy your melamine!
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Well the frozen Tilapia can be from anywhere. Fresh is most likely from somewhere in this hemisphere.
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Well the frozen Tilapia can be from anywhere. Fresh is most likely from somewhere in this hemisphere.
They can be from anywhere, but I have yet to see a bag of frozen tilapia which didn't say where they came from, and if I did, I would assume they came from China and I wouldn't buy it.
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I don't eat any frozen fish unless I caught and froze them myself.
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I don't eat any frozen fish unless I caught and froze them myself.
It's okay, I only eat artisanal frozen fish.
Re:manatee reproduce too slowly (Score:4, Funny)
"There is increasing competition from fish, which produce a ton of eggs."
Yeah, but how many fish eggs would I have to crack for an omelet?
Caveat (Score:1)
There's a boom in the population, now that Larry has learned French and Barbara will have him. The problem is that the boom consists of a manatee-cucumber mix and it's not yet clear whether it's a new species. That depends on a ruling from the religious council. The lift from endangered status was made assuming the council would say no.
Save the Manitee club! (Score:1)
Some editorial correction...
"We believe this is a devastating blow to Save The Manatees Club," Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club, said in a statement. "A federal reclassification at this time will seriously undermine the chances of securing funding for the manatee club's long- term survival."
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that still seems barely sufficient minimum viable population against development and impending climate change
Which is why they're still listed as "threatened".
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Job Security (Score:5, Interesting)
Actual quote:
"We believe this is a devastating blow to manatees," Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club, said in a statement. "A federal reclassification at this time will seriously undermine the chances of securing the manatee's long- term survival."
Translated for clarity and accuracy:
"We believe this is a devastating blow to my career," Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club, said in a statement. "A federal reclassification at this time will seriously undermine my chances of maintaining long-term employment."