TAMPA, Fla — The Trump administration is rolling back a key word from the Endangered Species Act — "harm" — a change officials say reduces red tape and gives private landowners more control over their property. But experts warn the move could have serious consequences for endangered species, including the Florida manatee.
Watch report from Blake Phillips
Since 1973, the Endangered Species Act has protected animals like the Florida manatee. The removal of the word "harm" from the law's language, set to take effect Sept. 14, will limit how far those protections can extend — specifically, removing the legal basis for protecting animals from habitat loss and degradation.
Jamie Vaccaro, head of the manatee Critical Care Center at Zoo Tampa — the largest nonprofit manatee critical care center in the world — said her facility has been stretched to its limits in recent years, with a growing number of manatees arriving in need of care.
"The last 2 years, our hospital has seen kind of a record number of manatee intakes. And I really only see that continuing to increase. So anytime we weaken protections for manatees, that does have a drastic harm not only to the habitat loss, but to other species," Vaccaro said.
Vaccaro said the rollback has broad implications for the animals her team works to save.
"Habitat destruction, habitat loss, anything that is affected by or could be affected by rollbacks of laws, has a direct impact to manatees," Vaccaro said.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum released a statement when the change was originally announced.
"For years, federal agencies abused the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and burden American families and businesses. That approach turned routine activity into a regulatory trap, drove up costs that impacted people's lives, and expanded federal authority beyond what Congress intended," Burgum said.
Despite the regulatory changes, Vaccaro said Zoo Tampa's commitment to manatee care will not waver. Staff at the critical care center accept any manatee in need — whether injured by a boat strike or simply found in distress — and trained experts determine whether an animal requires transport to the facility.
Anyone who spots a manatee in need of help on the water is encouraged to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's hotline at 1-888-404-3922
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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