Fish & Wildlife Service Rejects PEER Petition to End “Swim-With” Permits

While the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service concedes growing concerns with tourists being allowed to swim with endangered Florida manatees, the agency has rejected a petition to ban the practice or impose new safeguards, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In July, PEER had petitioned the agency to stop giving out commercial “swim-with” permits, adopt rules that forbid swimming with the manatees and safeguard key manatee breeding areas. PEER contends that the current practices are manifestly ineffective in protecting the manatee from tens of thousands of people poking, chasing, standing on or kicking manatees, as well as separating mothers from calves each year. Since it filed the petition, PEER has received numerous videos from citizens showing swimmers abusing manatees…. Read Full Article