Agencies Meet to Discuss Manatee Recovery

On Wednesday, December 21st, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Joint Unified Command (UC) held their first Manatee Recovery Press Conference providing an update on the FWC and USFWS joint enhanced response to the manatee unusual mortality event (UME) occurring on Florida’s east coast. Michelle Pasawicz, UC onsite Temporary Field Response Station Lead was out in the field and doing the press conference.

This conference’s main focus is UC general, provisioning and rescue/recovery operations in addition to the status of their current operations and how they will handle the colder weather coming in the following weeks. FWC Capt. Thomas Van Trees, Co-Commander Jon Wallace, Ron Mezich the UC Provisioning Branch Lead, and Andy Garrett UC Manatee Rescue and Recovery Branch Lead, are all panelists at the conference who answered a number of questions and explained some of their recent operations.

The UC Enhanced Response Branches are fully operational with a northeast branch located in Jacksonville, a central branch in Titusville, and a southeastern branch located in Northern Palm Beach Southern Martin County. The UC is also prepared to set up a fourth branch in the Florida Keys if needed.

USFWS plans to appoint a new Operation Section Chief on January 2nd to help delegate tasks between committees and organize the functions of each branch.

At the temporary field response station located in Brevard County at the Cape Canaveral Energy Center, staff are mobilizing and preparing equipment for expected winter activities. Within and around the feeding areas at the site, staff are monitoring and surveying the number of manatees, assessing body condition and behavior, and how long they’re staying each day. Michelle Pasawizc shares that they have observed manatees migrating towards warm water discharge on the northern side of Cape Canaveral Energy Center, where warm water is being provided.

Andy Garrett, Manatee Rescue Coordinator oversees staff who respond to distressed and deceased manatees. He shares that in 2022, there have been 105 manatee rescues statewide, 70 of which on the Atlantic Coast. In the fall, critical care facilities have been releasing manatees to ensure they have room following the colder winter months.

Two years ago, the FWC rescued a large amount of orphan calves which will be released into warm water sites in February of 2023. Due to these manatees, there is a slight issue with capacity and limiting space for the possible incoming manatees. To help alleviate this issue, critical care facilities will receive state funding in order to expand capacity. A few facilities will gain additional capacity this winter and others won’t have their projects complete until further into 2023.

If you see a distressed manatee, it is advised that you call the wildlife alert hotline: 888-404-3922, to report the cases so that the FWC can go out and help them.