In September 1986, the Fish and Wildlife Service updated 

 its Implementation Schedule for the Crystal River Plan and a 

 copy was provided to the Commission in October for its 

 review. The Schedule reviews recent progress in implementing 

 the Plan and identifies further actions to be taken during 

 the coming year. Among other things, the Schedule notes 

 that: the City of Crystal River has requested Service 

 participation in a comprehensive planning process; pending 

 development of a manatee protection plan specifying the 

 number, size, and location of boating facilities in the 

 Crystal River waterway, the Service will continue to review 

 permits for area boating facilities on a case-by-case basis; 

 and steps are continuing to coordinate and complete Federal 

 and State efforts to acquire important manatee habitat along 

 Kings Bay and the Homosassa River. At the end of 1986, the 

 Service's Implementation Schedule was under review and, as 

 appropriate, the Commission, in consultation with its 

 Committee of Scientific Advisors, will provide comments to 

 the Service early in 1987. 



A small population of West Indian manatees, estimated to 

 number about 100 animals, occurs in the coastal waters of 

 Puerto Rico. Like the Florida population, the manatee 

 population in Puerto Rico is designated as endangered under 

 the Endangered Species Act. Under the Act, the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service is required to prepare a recovery plan for 

 the population and, on 22 May 1986, the Service provided the 

 Commission with copies of its "Technical/Agency Review Draft 

 Recovery Plan for the Puerto Rico Population of the West 

 Indian (Antillean) Manatee." 



The stated goal of the Plan is to maintain a viable 

 population of manatees in Puerto Rico so that the species can 

 be removed from the Endangered Species List. Among other 

 things, the Draft Recovery Plan: reviews pertinent biologi- 

 cal information on the Puerto Rican manatee population; 

 identifies goals and objectives to guide recovery efforts; 

 and lists and briefly discusses specific tasks for achieving 

 those goals and objectives. The three objectives identified 

 in the Plan are to: (1) reduce human-related mortality, 

 especially that related to incidental entanglement in gill 

 nets; (2) gather additional biological information so that 

 specific criteria can be established for reclassifying 

 manatees; and (3) develop the criteria for reclassifying 

 manatees. The draft Plan includes an implementation schedule 

 identifying the priority, duration, estimated cost, and 

 agency responsibilities for carrying out each specific 

 recovery task. Among the highest priority tasks identified 

 by the draft Plan are: (a) expanding and improving the 

 manatee carcass salvage program in Puerto Rico; (b) reviewing 

 coastal development projects to identify and resolve possible 

 impacts on manatees; (c) developing a public information and 



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