A Miami-Dade official wants to loosen manatee protections because developers and boaters say the current rules are hurting the marine industry. Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, whose district includes much of the Miami River, is putting forward a plan that would allow people to build more docks along the county’s waterways.
However, Environmentalists say more docks would mean more boats, which would more deadly crashes with slow-moving manatees. And even the county’s Division of Environmental Resources Management has reservations about some parts of Barrerio’s proposal.
The current rules have been in place for over two decades.Since then, the manatee population has been climbing statewide and the federal government is considering changing the manatee’s classification from endangered to threatened. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission would have to sign off on any changes made by Miami-Dade commissioners.