News

By Tiare “TJ” Fridrich, Manatee Biologist

Manatee protection zones are boating speed zones created to protect manatees and their important habitats from harmful boat collisions and harassment. These zones are created by Florida state and county governments to restrict the speed and operation of vessels in areas with high manatee use or high potential risk of collisions. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was given the authority to create and adopt manatee protection zone rules by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act (FMSA) in 1978. The FMSA declared all of Florida’s waters a refuge and sanctuary for manatees and protects manatees from injury, disturbance, harassment, or harm in Florida. Under this rule, FWC’s Imperiled Species Management Section is authorized to identify areas that are high-risk for boat strikes, harassment, or harm to manatees and their habitat and create these protective speed zones. FWC reviews these on a county-wide scale, utilizing data on manatee habitat use, boater and waterway use, manatee rescue and carcass statistics, and many other sources across a county to determine where risk is the highest. The first manatee protection zone rules were adopted for Martin County in 1990, and today 18 counties have manatee protection zone rules. FWC’s Florida Manatee Management Plan requires that rules be reviewed periodically to determine if the implemented zones are effective or need updating.

In early 2025, FWC identified several zones in Indian River County for potential changes. The zones were originally established in 1992, and while some amendments had been made, the last changes to the zones were in 2002. Indian River County, like most parts of Florida, has seen a major increase in residents and boaters over the last two decades, and manatee numbers have also increased, so the need for review was warranted. The process for reviewing and proposing changes to manatee protection zones is written in the state statutes.

First, the state must notify the county government that they are considering new or amended zones and give the county the opportunity to create a Local Rule Review Committee (LRRC). A LRRC is a working group made up of environmentalists and waterway users who are familiar with the local waterways and habitats. Then, members meet in person multiple times over the course of 60 days to discuss and review the proposed rules. They write a report of their recommendations, whether that be keeping the rules as-is, changing them based on FWC’s suggestions, or offering new options, and submit that report to FWC for their review. This report is considered by FWC staff when drafting the proposed rules. I had the opportunity to participate in the LRRC meetings and be a part of the zone review process as an advocate for stronger manatee protections. If you would like to read the report and participate in the zone review process yourself, you can find information on FWC’s website at myfwc.com.