VERO BEACH — Florida wildlife officials are proposing to relax boat speed limits in several former manatee gathering areas along the Indian River Lagoon, a move that would mark the first substantial overhaul of the county’s protection zones in more than 20 years.
The changes, set for a vote next week, intend to align restrictions with updated data on where the endangered sea cows are actually congregating, but they’ve drawn criticism from conservationists worried about increased risks to the animals.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission plans to vote Feb. 5 on the amendments, which would adjust rules in Indian River County waterways last revised in 2002. Manatee sightings have dropped in some spots to as low as 0.5 per flight, based on aerial surveys from 2019. The proposal shifts protections to focus on current travel corridors and foraging grounds while easing curbs elsewhere.
Key changes include raising the speed limit near Sebastian Inlet from the current idle speed — typically 2 to 5 mph — to a slow speed zone, allowing boats to go up to about 15 mph without creating a significant wake. At the canal near the Vero Beach power plant, a site once known for attracting manatees to its warm water discharge, the seasonal no-entry prohibition would be replaced with a year-round idle speed requirement, opening it to limited boating. In contrast, the plan calls for expanding a year-round slow speed zone — defined as 5 to 7 mph in narrow channels — around Prang Island Creek to cover previously unregulated southern waters identified as high-risk for manatees.
FWC officials say the tweaks will enhance safeguards in active manatee habitats while reducing unnecessary burdens on boaters in open areas such as east of the Sebastian River. The agency also plans to replace damaged signs and add new ones to better mark zones, responding to requests from a local rulemaking committee that gathered public input in meetings last September and January.
Last year, there were over 100 manatee deaths reported statewide from boat strikes. If approved, the new zones wouldn’t take effect until after final rulemaking, and current restrictions stay in place in the meantime.
The proposal comes from the state’s Manatee Management Plan, which requires scheduled reviews to balance wildlife protection with recreational use under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act. Commissioners might either move the amendments forward for more consideration or make revisions based on what happens at the hearing.
