Florida’s manatees are more than just a gentle giant; they are the state marine mammal, cherished by residents, and a reason tourists come to visit our state. Thanks in part to strong legal protections under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) , no manatee populations, nor any other marine mammal species, have gone extinct.

For more than 50 years, the MMPA has served as a cornerstone of marine conservation, prohibiting the harassment, harm, capture or killing of any marine mammal in U.S. waters. These long-standing protections have been essential in protecting vulnerable species from the most damaging impacts of human activity. But today, that progress is at risk for all marine mammals. Newly proposed legislation threatens to gut the very safeguards that have protected our nation’s

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