ARE YOU NOTICING A DRASTIC COOL DOWN, WE DON’T HAVE THAT PLAN FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK,
KRISTI?
>> THANK YOU.
>> AS WE’VE BEEN REPORTING,
THE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT
SHOW IS OFFICIALLY BACK THIS
YEAR.
BUT ON THIS OPENING DAY, NOT
EVERYONE IS CHEERING.
>> A HUGE STAGING AREA ON THE
BISCAYNE BAY DOCKS HAS BEEN
BUILT RIGHT ON TOP OF A
PROTECTED MANATEE HABITAT AT A
TIME WHEN THE SURVIVAL OF THE
SPECIES IS AT RISK.
THE BOAT SHOW MANATEE
CONTROVERSY IS TONIGHT’S DON’T
TRASH OUR TREASURE.
>> IT’S UP TO ALL OF US TO
COME TOGETHER TO HELP PROTECT
BISCAYNE BAY AND OUR MANATEES.
>> VIDEO AFTER VIDEO AFTER
VIDEO SHOWS WHY ACTIVISTS LIKE
MARIA ARE VERY CONCERNED.
>> WE HAVE TO PRESERVE THE
ONES THAT ARE LEFT.
>> MANATEES, AND MORE THAN
JUST A FEW, SPOTTED THESE LAST
SEVERAL DAYS IN THIS AREA OF
BISCAYNE BAY JUST SOUTH OF THE
VENETIAN CAUSEWAY ALL ALONG
THE WESTERN SHORELINE, THE
SAME PLACE WHERE THE MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW IS
STAGING SEA TRIALS, TEST
DRIVES ON THE WATER OVER THE
NEXT FIVE DAYS.
>> HONESTLY, I CAN’T BELIEVE
THIS IS BEING ALLOWED.
>> BUT IT IS.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS APPROVED IT BACK
IN DECEMBER AFTER BOAT SHOW
ORGANIZERS INSISTED THEY’RE
VITAL.
>> THESE ARE NOT TEST DRIVES
RUN BY CONSUMERS.
THESE SEA TRIALS HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN A PART OF THE MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW.
>> BUT NOT HERE.
FOR 30 YEARS, THE SEA TRIALS
WERE ON MIAMI BEACH AND STAGED
ON INDIAN CREEK BEFORE MOVING
TO VIRGINIA KEY IN 2019.
BOTH AREAS NOT ESSENTIAL
MANATEE HABITATS.
>> IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT
THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN A
YEAR LIKE THIS THAT WE’VE HAD
WITH SO MANY MANATEE
MORTALITIES.
>> THE SAVE THE MANATEE CLUB
SOUNDING THE ALARM AFTER A
RECORD 1100 FLORIDA MANATEES
DIED IN 2021, MOST STARVING TO
DEATH.
THEIR ONLY FOOD, THE SEA
GRASSES, FAST DISAPPEARING
ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE OF
POLLUTION.
>> WE’RE PROBABLY AT ABOUT 100
MANATEES DEAD ALREADY THIS
YEAR IN OUR FIRST MONTH.
>> THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON ON
FLORIDA’S TREASURE COAST THE
EPICENTER OF THE CRISIS.
BUT IT DOESN’T MEAN SOUTH
FLORIDA’S MANATEES AREN’T AT
RISK.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF
EMACIATED MANATEES IN THE
SOUTH FLORIDA AREA, FOR SURE.
>> AS WE’VE BEEN REPORTING,
PORTIONS OF BISCAYNE BAY,
ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH, HAVE
LOST ACRES OF SEA GRASSES.
WHICH IS WHY LEE HEFTY ADVISED
AGAINST THE SEA TRIALS HERE.
>> IF YOU’RE A MANATEE WITH A
SMALL CALF LOOKING FOR FOOD,
RIGHT NOW THAT’S A HECK OF A
THING TO DO WHEN THERE’S NO
SEA GRASSES, EVERYTHING IS
DISRUPTING INGING YOUR BEHAVIOR
DISRUPTING YOUR ABILITY TO
SURVIVE.
>> BUT THE BOAT SHOW TOO BIG A
MONEYMAKER.
>> MULTIMILLION DOLLARS THAT
EMPLOYS SO MANY PEOPLE.
>> SO THE SEA TRIALS ARE
HAPPENING, THOUGH STRICTLY
REGULATED.
ONLY 150 OF THEM HAVE BEEN
APPROVED.
AND THEY CAN ONLY USE THIS ONE
ROUTE ALONG FISHERMAN’S
CHANNEL SOUTH OF PORT MIAMI
WHERE JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO A
MAMA MANATEE AND TWO CALVES
WERE RECORDED BY THE CORAL
CAM.
>> WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE
EVEN ONE MANATEE THIS YEAR TO
A BOAT STRIKE.
>> AND IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL BOAT STRIKES, BUT
ALL THE TRAFFIC DISRUPTING
THEIR BEHAVIOR.
>> THEY COULD BE IN THIS AREA
FORAGING FOR FOOD, BUT NOW
THERE’S GONNA BE 650 BOATS
DEDICATED TO SEA TRIALS.
>> THE BOAT SHOW MUST COMPLY
WITH THE MANATEE PROTECTION
PLANNING.
THEY MUST HAVE A MANATEE
SPOTTER ON BOARD EACH BOAT AND
THERE ARE MANATEE OBSERVERS ON
THE DOCKS.
THE BOAT SHOW ALSO HAS TO LOOK
OUT FOR MANATEES FROM ABOVE
USING DRONES.
IF A MANATEE IS SPOTTED IN THE
VICINITY, ALL ACTIVITIES ON
THE WATER MUST STOP RIGHT THEN
AND THERE.
ALL SEA TRIALS SUSPENDED UNTIL
AFTER THE MANATEE LEAVES THE
AREA.
MARINE PATROL AND FWC WILL
HAVE OFFICERS ON BOATS HERE TO
MAKE SURE THESE RULES ARE
STRICTLY ENFORCED.
>> THEY’RE ON BOARD DOING ALL
THE MONITORING THAT WE CAN.
>> BUT STILL, THE RISK IS TOO
GREAT AND THEY’RE ENCOURAGING
BOAT SHOW ORGANIZERS TO FIND
SOMEONE ELSE ON THE BAY TO
HOST NEXT YEAR’S SEA TRIALS
AWAY FROM THE MANATEES.
>> THE BOAT SHOW CAN STILL
HAVE ESTHETIC SETTING WHERE
THE BOATS ARE HERE.
BUT THE SEA TRIALS SHOULD BE
LOCATED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE
BAY.
>> TO BE CLEAR, THE COUNTY
GAVE THE OKAY TO HOST THE SEA
TRIALS AT THAT LOCATION FOR
THIS YEAR ONLY.
TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT
YEAR, ALL SEA TRIALS MUST KEEP
A LOG OF ALL TRIPS DURING THE
SHOW AND SUBMIT THOSE LOGS TO
THE COUNTY AFTER THE SHOW IS
OVER TO SEE WHAT IMPACT IS
HAD, IF ANY, ON OUR MANATEES.
BUT IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE
POSSIBLE BOAT STRIKES, IT’S
ABOUT DISRUPTING THEIR
BEHAVIOR AND SCARING THEM AWAY
FROM A KNOWN FOOD SOURCE.
AND THERE’S REALLY NO WAY TO
QUANTIFY THAT.
THE PUBLIC IS ALSO ENCOURAGED
TO KEEP WATCH IF YOU SEE A
MANATEE IN THE SEA TRIAL AREA.
THE COUNTY HAS SET UP A
HOTLINE FOR YOU TO REPORT IT.
OR YOU CAN E-MAIL THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE ALL THAT INFO, JUST
SCAN THAT QR CODE AND IT WILL
TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE DON’T