"Manatees Taken Off U.S. Endangered List, Conservationists Cry Foul"

"Manatees were taken off the U.S. Interior Department's list of endangered species on Thursday and reclassified as threatened, a move condemned by conservationists who say it weakens protections for the giant marine mammal, also known as a sea cow.

The relisting recognizes a population rebound by the West Indian manatee, a native of the Florida coastline whose range extends from the southeastern United States through the Caribbean basin. Its numbers have soared to more than 6,600 in Florida alone from a few hundred in the 1970s, the Interior Department said.

The recovery resulted from more than 30 years of conservation efforts by states, the U.S. government, Caribbean countries and environmentalists. Among the measures that have benefited the species were a redesign of locks and levees, setting up manatee sanctuaries and speed limits on boats to avoid collisions, the department said in a statement."

Ian Simpson reports for Reuters March 30, 2017.