Preliminary data from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission finds that 619 threatened manatees died in Florida waters in 2020, which is an increase from the previous year. The number of recorded deaths caused by boat strikes last year was down last year, but environmental advocates say that’s likely due to fewer necropsies being performed due to pandemic-related restrictions.
We’re joined by Senior Florida Campaigner with the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity Sarah Gledhill for a breakdown of the latest manatee mortality data and a look at an effort to increase boater safety education requirements in Florida, which could help protect the slow-moving manatees.
