A lawsuit could soon be filed to force federal environmental officials to reverse recent cuts in staffing at the largest manatee sanctuary in the world.
The target is the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, where hundreds of manatees flock to warm springs during winter cold snaps.
Two of the refuge's eight full-time staffers were axed during the recent bout of government cuts.
The Center for Biological Diversity says that's endangering more of the threatened species, because they're being harassed by divers and swimmers.
"The amount of harassment that's happening at this refuge is incredible to see," said Ragan Whitlock, an attorney with the group. "There are videos of calves being stranded from mothers, of people touching with both hands, of spooking these manatees."
Now, he said, there are only six staffers to oversee more than 30,000 acres of five refuges along the Gulf coast in Citrus County.
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"There are more than two dozen special use permits for ecotourism groups or swim with manatee tour groups that are operating within the refuge, and those should have oversight by the Fish and Wildlife Service, and that's just simply not happening," Whitlock said.
The notice to sue gives the service 60 days to come up with a solution, or face a lawsuit.
"The harassment of Florida manatees within the Crystal River refuge is take under the Endangered Species Act, which is unlawful and must be stopped," Whitlock said.
"And we provided several options to the Fish and Wildlife Service and to Doge to remedy this issue, it could staff this refuge properly. It could expand the sanctuary boundaries where there are no entry zones, or it could reconsider its special use permits and find a way to mitigate take from those operators."
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