To prepare for the review, the Commission's Executive 

 Director went to Florida earlier in the year to meet with 

 involved Federal and State officials as well as representatives 

 of the scientific community, industry, and environmental 

 groups. During the course of the trip, additional information 

 on research and management activities was collected, critical 

 problems confronting the manatee program were reviewed, per- 

 ceived needs of different groups were explored, and a general 

 framework was developed for the December review of research and 

 management needs. 



Based on information collected during that visit and on 

 what was already known about the situation, the Commission, 

 in consultation with its Committee of Scientific Advisors, 

 wrote to the Fish and Wildlife Service on 19 November 1987. 

 In its letter, the Commission outlined its views of the critical 

 management issues and the steps needed to strengthen the manatee 

 recovery program. Specifically, it recommended that the 

 Service, in cooperation with other involved parties, take prompt 

 action to: (1) update the West Indian Manatee Recovery Plan 

 and the accompanying Comprehensive Work Plan; (2) reconstitute 

 and reconvene the West Indian Manatee Recovery Team; (3) com- 

 plete land acquisition projects in the area of the Crystal 

 and Homosassa Rivers on Florida's west coast; (4) improve the 

 effectiveness of regulations and law enforcement pertaining to 

 recreational boaters and divers in essential manatee habitat; 

 (5) control the development of marinas and other boating 

 facilities in essential manatee habitats; (6) identify and 

 undertake priority manatee research; and (7) coordinate 

 Federal/State/private public education and information 

 programs. In addition, the Commission asked that represen- 

 tatives of the Service address the various recommendations 

 during the December meeting so that all concerned could agree 

 on appropriate approaches to critical issues. 



Many Federal and State agencies and private organizations 

 have important roles in the manatee recovery program. Among 

 these are the Florida Department of Natural Resources, the 

 Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, the Florida Power and Light Company, 

 and the Save the Manatee Club. Accordingly, representatives 

 of these groups and organizations were invited to participate 

 in the program review during the Commission's meeting. The 

 results of that review, including follow-up actions taken as 

 of the end of 1987, are discussed below. 



The West Indian Manatee Recovery Plan and Comprehensive 

 Work Plan — The Fish and Wildlife Service adopted the Recovery 

 Plan for West Indian manatees in April 1980 and the Comprehen- 

 sive Work Plan in February 1982. Unfortunately, neither the 

 Recovery Plan nor the Work Plan has been updated since adopt- 

 ion, and they are badly out of date. As a result, program 



