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.
Therefore, something has to go, and that s the manatee. It s the greed factor. For years, waterfront development has been subject to manatee-related regulations, but permits have seldom been completely denied because of Florida s manatee regulations. Some developments, however, have been scaled back, said Kipp Frohlich of the state Bureau of Protected Species Management. If the original proposal that comes in the door is smaller or allows fewer boats or docks, you could argue that manatee regulations have slowed development, he said.