Slow down!! There is a manatee!!

Are you a boater living here in Southern Florida? Then be aware of some new boating regulations aiming to further protect the manatees. Recently the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee got together and overhauled the regulations that were previously in place since the early 1990's. Previously the speed limits were only imposed on the weekends during the winter, but that was changed to seven days a week.

Photo Courtesy of Palm Beach Post

The state proposed to kill the restrictions during the summer all together, as the manatees don't appear as much around that time of year. That proposal was rejected by the committee. The January 2010 state survey aiming to get the population of the Florida manatee numbered 5,067, the highest it's ever been. Things look up for the Florida manatee, but it's still a long road ahead. The past state surveys haven't always been accurate with numbers varying by up to 1,000 for different areas in the state. It's nice to see both boaters and environmentalists working together to find ways to help make sure that number keeps going up each year.