Jim Healy is an experienced cruiser of US coastal waters and a frequent contributor to Cruisers Net. Jim’s well thought-out perspective on the manatee issue in Florida came as added comments on Florida’s Manatees are Dying of Starvation and are reposted here in case you missed them.

This is going to be a very difficult and complex – and hopefully science-based – discussion over the next few years. Manatee are not native to Florida; they are an invasive, if cute and cuddly, species. The “Save the Manatee” political forces in Florida have made them into a cultural icon. And, those forces have been very successful at promoting Manatee welfare. All good. Now it’s time to ask, though, “perhaps, too successful?” In many areas, waterfront landowners with a vested interest in boat speed limitations on local waters found a willing partner with the Manatee welfare society forces to promote speed limiting policies.

But in places like Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon, and around power plants all across the state, and other places, too, a not unreasonable question to ask is, “do we have more non-native Manatee now than the area could ever support “naturally,” and are they dying of starvation because the carrying capacity of their adopted habitat is over-populated?” This will not be a popular question, and I will not be popular for asking it. But the fact is, the geological makeup and natural character of these large East Coast Florida lagoons do not have much natural drainage, and their waters are not naturally self-cleansing and self-refreshing. Heavy industry (including NASA) and ENORMOUS regional population growth have undoubtedly contributed to pollutions in these waters of poor natural circulation and refreshment.

Society is going to have to do some really serious evaluation and balancing of conflicting needs as this one goes forward. And, society is going to have to make some really difficult choices, too. Ain’t no pet interests gonna get outta this one without scrapes and bruises. I wonder, for example, how many septic systems drain into Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon in the dozens of municipal blocks that neighbor those waters? It’ll take a couple of generations (of humans) to get just that detail cleaned up. And millions of $$$$. And the bureaucracy! Oh, the bureaucracy that will be created! Because this problem does NOT feel like a one-size-fits-all solution will meet the needs all across the state of Florida.

A truly confounding problem, to be sure. I hope we’re up to it as a society.

Jim Healy

Monk 36 Hull #132