West Indian Manatee No Longer Endangered, says US Fish and Wildlife Service

[nied]

[quote]The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to remove the West Indian manatee from the endangered species list and reclassify it as "threatened" after "significant improvements" in its population and habitat conditions.

The portly creatures were among the first species added to the list in 1972. There were only an estimated 1,267 manatees in Florida when the agency began aerial surveys of the population in 1991. Today, there are more than 6,300 in Florida, a 500% increase in the species population in the state, the service said.[/quote]

[url]http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/08/living/manatee-endangered-species-feat/[/url]

it hasn't technically lost its endangered status yet, but it doesn't look like anyone's against moving it up from Endangered to Threatened in 2017

[Deathtrooper2]

Sea cows are cool.

[Download]

Mantee is back on the menu!

[Cocacoladude]

I just want my tuna-safe dolphin someday.

[A B.A. Survivor]

[QUOTE=download;49519170]Mantee is back on the menu![/QUOTE]

What is the fat ratio on one of them big boys, anyway?

[Kyle877]

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;49519838]What is the fat ratio on one of them big boys, anyway?[/QUOTE]

Fat: Yes

Meat: No

[Dubeard]

Manatees are fat and adorable.

[adamsz]

[QUOTE=Dubeard;49521750]Manatees are fat and adorable.[/QUOTE]

Except for all the scars from getting hit by boats.

[Dubeard]

[QUOTE=adamsz;49521863]Except for all the scars from getting hit by boats.[/QUOTE]

Then they look fat, adorable, and badass.

[Biotoxsin]

I've seen some discussion from the opposition to this proposal. I'm not sure about how I feel yet.

Hope the move doesn't come too quickly.

[Zillamaster55]

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;49523279]I've seen some discussion from the opposition to this proposal. I'm not sure about how I feel yet.

Hope the move doesn't come too quickly.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, I feel it's a bad move to immediately remove something off of the endangered list after it hits some arbitrary number. Until the population is actually sutainable (which would take decades to research a carrying capacity), I'd keep them protected

[The_J_Hat]

It's not like people are actually going to start hunting them, right?

[Schmaaa]

The idea is that they will move it from the "endangered" to the "threatened" list. People still won't be allowed to hunt them, it will just be listed as less fucked than it was before.