Wildlife commission delays manatee vote

ST. PETERSBURG - As expected this morning, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 6-0 to delay making a final decision on taking manatees off the state's endangered species list.

However, the commissioners want to get back on track in time for their next meeting, which is slated for December in Key Largo.

The commission, which is meeting in St. Petersburg this week, had been scheduled to vote on a controversial move to take manatees off the endangered list and reclassify them as "threatened." The move has been long sought by boating and development interests, but strongly opposed by environmental groups.

This week, though, Gov. Charlie Crist asked the commissioners -- all gubernatorial appointees -- to delay the decision. He pointed out that there are two new commissioners who might not be up to speed on the issue. And he noted that a record number of manatees died ast year -- more than 400 -- yet there is a need for a better way to calculate how many manatees are left. Scientists estimate there are about 3,000.

Commissioners agreed with no dissent to do what Crist asked. But Commissioner Kathy Barco, who runs a construction company in Jacksonville, said she wanted to see the manatee vote on the next meeting agenda.

Executive director Ken Haddad said that may be possible, but first he and his manatee experts want to "confer with the governor's office to see what his concerns are."

-- Craig Pittman, Times staff writer