Last year was a bad time for manatees in Florida and whales off California, with an increasing number of boat-related manatee deaths and more whales entangled in fishing nets and lines.
In Florida, 2018 saw the second-highest number of manatee deaths ever. Indeed, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) reported that more than 800 manatees died in 2018, a 50 percent increase over the previous year. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was the highest number of deaths in any year except 2013, with 818, a year with a long cold spell.
More than a quarter of the manatees died due to red tide last year. But a record number of 119 were killed in boat-related collisions. Cold weather was responsible for 72 manatee deaths, which was three times as many as in each of the previous four years.
“Nothing is going well for Florida’s manatees this year,” said Jeff Ruch, the executive director of PEER. “From pollution-induced red tides to speedboat propellers, humans are responsible for most manatee deaths.”
Meanwhile, the number of whales entangled in fishing gear, nets and crab pots is increasing. NOAA reports that as of Dec. 6, 45 whales were entangled in the waters off Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California, including 35 off California. Many were found off Orange County and Monterey, areas busy with recreational boaters and fishermen. In 2017, 31 whales were entangled on the West Coast, including 25 off California.
Scientists say that warming waters in the Pacific lead whales to search for food closer to the shore, with increasing odds of becoming entangled in something. Read more:
https://www.peer.org/news/press-releases/manatee-deaths-in-2018-approaching-all-time-record.html
