From Miami Herald

   A state appointed committee has recommended moving manatees from the endangered to threatened status. In January the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will decide if the change will be made. The change would not affect regulations protecting manatees, however, the decision could influence the public’s perception of the situation. Patti Thompson of the Save the Manatee Club said boaters could think manatees are not in trouble anymore and start going faster in slow-speed zones. A Florida Marine Research Institute report warned that greater threats from boats and loss of habitat could halve the manatee population in the next 45 years. Boaters hope the report will lead to reclassification on both state and federal levels. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials said their criteria for changing species status is different form the states, and they will be looking into changing the status next year. The Coastal Conservation Association submitted a petition asking for a reevaluation of manatee population, the first attempt to reevaluate since state officials listed them as endangered about three decades ago. This report will be evaluated next by a panel of scientist outside the manatee research community before being presented to commission as an official staff proposal.