We think manatee zones can be implemented that protect manatees and still provide reasonable access for boaters. That's been our argument all along, and I think the commission is becoming more and more receptive.
There'll be some tricky stuff to try to figure out a way to get gill nets back in, but we'll keep an eye on it.
The herd is still expanding. In 2001, the Save the Manatee Club was saying they were on the brink of extinction and it was right about the same time a count of 3,300 came out.
The process at the state and federal level was not to put an animal on the list and leave it there forever.
We felt it was very important to let people know there are more manatees now than there were 25 years ago. So we're not in any emergency situation; we are in a situation where we have to manage the species carefully.
I don't see any changes in speed zones, but it lets people know they are not on the brink of extinction.
