Thursday, September 19, 2024
Gil McRae Director of Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission | Official Website

Florida Fish & Wildlife unveils new manatee & sea turtle decals

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has released its 2024-2025 manatee and sea turtle decals. These illustrated decals can be placed on watercraft, vehicle bumpers, water bottles, coolers, tackle boxes, and laptops.

New waterproof decals featuring original artwork are released annually in July and are available for a $5 donation at local tax collector’s offices. Donations fund manatee and sea turtle research, rescue, and management efforts.

This year’s decals emphasize the importance of conserving Florida’s waterways and beaches for manatees and sea turtles:

“Protect Your Waterways, Protect Their Home” serves as a reminder that manatees inhabit various Florida waterways including rivers, bays, canals, and coastal areas. Keeping these areas clean prevents manatees from ingesting or becoming entangled in marine debris.

“A Generation of Protection Brings Record Results” highlights Florida’s successful efforts to protect sea turtles which resulted in record numbers of loggerhead and green sea turtle nests in 2023. Actions such as keeping beaches clean, removing recreational equipment after beach visits, and keeping beaches dark at night help protect nesting sea turtles and hatchlings.

The decals also display the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922), where individuals can report dead, injured, entangled or sick manatees or sea turtles.

Additionally, contributions to conservation can be made through purchasing “Save the Manatee” or “Helping Sea Turtles Survive” specialty license plates at local tax collector’s offices.

For more information on manatee and sea turtle conservation in Florida visit MyFWC.com/Manatee or MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle. For out-of-state purchases or unavailable new decals at tax collector’s offices—or to view previous years' decals (1992-2023)—type “decals” into the search bar at MyFWC.com.

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