They re going to shut most of us down. I m already hemmed in. Everywhere I fish is a manatee speed zone. Vallee called the manatee a political hot potato. It literally pits saving what s left of Florida versus people who want to pave over Florida, she said.
People see the manatee as the symbol of pristine Florida.
Those are people who go out in a boat to enjoy nature, who want to see a lovely sunset and wildlife. Then there are other people who don t feel that way. They go out in a boat to get to a destination as they would in an automobile. Over time, that s how developers and the marina industry see it. Regulations protecting manatees stand in the way of development.