Judge finds manatee die-off proves Florida broke endangered species law

Judge finds manatee die-off proves Florida broke endangered species law

State biologists examine a manatee that starved to death during the big die-off. (Photo via FWC)Back in the 1990s, when I was on the criminal court beat, I sat through more murder trials than Perry Mason and Ben Matlock combined. Every case concerned a tragedy, but occasionally there were moments of comedy. One case involved two hitmen who were so inept, they got lost trying to find their target in St. Petersburg. They were so lost, they wound u…

Making way for manatees in the St. Johns River

Champions of the manatee representing conservation, regulatory, educational and maritime commerce interests are collaborating to protect the sea cows in the St. Johns River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that fewer than 8,400 Florida manatees exist. They are listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Public Trust for Conservation is spearheading a committee of community stakeholders to save manate…

Federal judge orders Florida to address pollution that led to manatee deaths

Nearly 2,000 manatees died in the state in 2021 and 2022, a two-year record.