All Departments Trade group will fight manatee protections State marine interests want the mammals off the endangered list.
Scientists working to protect manatees say the idea of stripping away protections is ridiculous.
Manatee populations may be stable or even growing a little in some locations, they say, but the number of boats is growing too. This year, they predict, Florida will set a record for the number of manatees killed by boats. State officials estimate there are about 2,500 manatees remaining in Florida's waters. The creatures have been on the endangered species list since 1967. The Endangered Species Act allows Florida to impose a host of protections for manatees, from requiring boaters to slow down in places where manatees congregate to limiting development near their habitat.