TERMINAL

Once again we are upon the cross roads Jaxport vs. Environment, A 2007 report by the U.S. Geological Survey identified boat collisions as the top long-term threat to manatees, which weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can be 10 feet long. In Florida, watercraft strikes killed 73 manatees in 2007 and have caused 60 deaths through July 31 this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It's unusual for multiple manatees to turn up dead in the same place at roughly the same time, said Charles Underwood, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Jacksonville, Fla. But it can happen, he said, when manatees are trying to mate and may be distracted from approaching vessels. With the increase shipping at our ports Jacksonville can expect to see many more deaths from ships plowing through the water like a locomotive leaving no escape for the manatee due to the size of the ship and the draft they draw. Most manatees are sucked into the massive props of the ships and die a painful death. almost like a car running over you on a busy intersection with no way to run. Jimmy buffet feels these deaths could have been avoided if Jaxport took the time to monitor the mating habits of the marine animals, ships could very very slow down their speeds as well as the large tugs. Once these manatees are out of the way it will be business as before its sad for the manatee's but a cruise ship in jacksonville is more important than a manatee as indicated by jaxport