Number: 1980-52
WHEREAS, the Florida manatee (sea cow) (Trichechus manatus) is listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and
WHEREAS, the Florida manatee population continues to decline; and
WHEREAS, these declines are caused primarily by activities of man such as recreational and commercial boating;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled in Miami Beach, Fla., March 20-23, 1980, hereby urges the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish areas where man’s activities may be restricted in order to conserve and enhance manatee populations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation encourages the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish, at a minimum, manatee refuges coextensive to those designated or proposed by the State of Florida.