Newsroom

Defenders of Wildlife and allied conservation groups applaud the action taken by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Commission to uplist the marbled

Florida manatee mortality numbers now stand at 841 since the start of 2021, accounting for approximately 10% of the estimated total population of 8,810 animals and breaking the all-time record for annual manatee deaths. The previous record was set in 2013 with 830 casualties. With over five months left in the year, the death toll will likely continue to rise.

It’s baby season out on the Great Plains and new life is everywhere! Especially exciting for Defenders of Wildlife and our conservation partners is the birth of two vital species.

Member countries acknowledge the dire situation the species is facing, but the process towards any consensus has been slow, even as time is running out.  A similar meeting last year stalled after the countries couldn’t come to terms.  

Despite public opinion and science, the Biden administration continues to implement harmful Trump-era cuts to the Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program (STSR) at Texas’ Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS), leaving endangered sea turtles even more vulnerable.