The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing Feb. 3 to get input on proposed changes to manatee protection zones in Levy County.
Waterways in Florida that are considered manatee habitats have regulated speeds for boating activities, as watercraft make up about 30% of all manatee mortality causes. The changes to protection zones come after an FWC 2024 manatee distribution survey that showed the animal’s travel patterns shifting closer to zones of the Withlacoochee River that are currently “seasonal low speed zones” and varying speed zones.
The changes in protection zones would ensure speed zones are consistent with the changes seen in manatee distribution, especially extending some zones west toward the Gulf of Mexico, according to the survey.
Manatee deaths went down in 2023 and 2024, but they still remained in the 500s range with 565 deaths in 2024. The periods of 2021 and 2022 had the highest mortality in the past five years, with 1100 deaths in 2021 and 800 in 2022. This caused the FWC to declare an Unusual Mortality Event for the species in 2021. A UME is defined as an unexpected “significant die-off of any marine mammal population” by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and it demands an immediate response.
The spike in deaths was partially attributed to the cold weather at the end of 2022, so decreasing temperatures in 2025 could also mean higher mortality.
Apart from changes to protection zones, the FWC shared Jan. 13 that the Florida manatee would stay under the “threatened” species classification, despite petitions from environmental groups to declare the species endangered and expand protections.
The FWC workshop to hear public opinion on the protection zone changes will be held at the Inglis Community Center in Inglis on Feb. 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.