The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 15 No. 19 - March 4, 2015

FEATURE

Pelicans among birds to be delisted

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

CINDY LANE | SUN

Brown pelicans are one of 15 species that
will be taken off the state imperiled species list under
a proposed plan.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is accepting public comments on a draft plan to manage 60 species that would keep 45 species on the Florida Endangered and Threatened Species List and delist 15 species.

The brown pelican, snowy egret and white ibis, year-round residents of Anna Maria Island and currently listed as species of special concern in Florida, are among those proposed for removal from the list.

The delisting was proposed because the species of special concern listing status is being phased out, and the birds, along with other 12 species, do not meet the criteria to be elevated to threatened status, according to the FWC’s Imperiled Species Management Plan.

“Conservation actions are identified for each (species of special concern) so as to prevent these species from again becoming imperiled,” according to the plan.

“I hope management practices continue on the level that they have,” said Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, which collects data on imperiled turtles and birds. Because of past successful conservation efforts, it’s more common to see bald eagles and other imperiled species now, she added.

“I'm happy the population has come back to favorable numbers, but it scares me that they will no longer have the protection that is needed,” said Holmes Beach resident Jean Bystrom, who, with a group of volunteers, rescued 280 brown pelicans hooked on fishing rigs from the Sunshine Skyway fishing pier alone last year. “With the influx of tourism and careless fishing practices around the pelicans, we need stricter fishing and gear regulations. If this delist causes less concern for this needed protection, then a lot of pelicans will perish.”

Birds that frequent the Island that are proposed to remain listed in the plan include the American oystercatcher, black skimmer, least tern, little blue heron, roseate spoonbill and snowy plover. The plan also would protect certain mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, coral, crustaceans and mollusks.

The plan includes one-page summaries on each species, a photo and Florida range map, the animal’s status, identified threats and conservation approaches.

To read the plan and make comments on it, visit www.MyFWC.com/WildlifeHabitats, click on “Imperiled Species” then “read, review and comment.” The deadline for public comment is Friday, March 13.

Species affected by protection plan

Mammals

Big Cypress fox squirrel, Eastern chipmunk, Everglades mink, Florida bonneted bat, Florida mouse, Homosassa shrew, Sanibel Island rice rat, Sherman's fox squirrel and Sherman’s short-tailed shrew

Birds

American oystercatcher, black skimmer, brown pelican, Florida burrowing owl, Florida sandhill crane, least tern, limpkin, little blue heron, Marian's marsh wren, osprey (Monroe County population only), reddish egret, roseate spoonbill, Scott's seaside sparrow, snowy egret, snowy plover, Southeastern American kestrel, tricolored heron, Wakulla seaside sparrow, white-crowned pigeon, white ibis and Worthington's marsh wren

Reptiles

Alligator snapping turtle, Barbour’s map turtle, Florida brown snake (lower Keys population only), Florida Keys mole skink, Florida pine snake, Key ringneck snake, Peninsula ribbon snake (lower Keys population only), red rat snake, rim rock crowned snake, short-tailed snake, striped mud turtle (lower Keys population only) and Suwannee cooter

Amphibians

Florida bog frog, Georgia blind salamander, gopher frog and Pine Barrens treefrog

Fish

Atlantic sturgeon, blackmouth shiner, bluenose shiner, crystal darter, Key silverside, harlequin darter, Lake Eustis pupfish, mangrove rivulus, saltmarsh topminnow and Southern tessellated darter

Corals

Pillar coral

Crustaceans

Black Creek crayfish and Santa Fe cave crayfish

Mollusks

Florida tree snail


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