FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set measurable biological goals for manatee recovery and a decision to postpone downlisting manatees from "endangered" to "threatened" during it's three-day meeting this week. The manatee recovery goals will serve as benchmarks in evaluating and developing manatee protection measures. They are:

1. To ensure that the average annual rate of adult manatee survival is 90 percent or greater,

2. To ensure that the average annual percentage of adult female manatees accompanied by first- or second-year calves in winter is 40 percent or greater.

3. To ensure that the average annual rate of population growth is equal to or greater than zero.

The Commission had planned to consider the downlisting decision during Thursday's session but decided to delay consideration to give interested parties a chance to review and comment on a refined biological status review of the species and to allow time for a re-evaluation of the listing process. Also, executive director Kenneth Haddad said the Commission could use the delay to attempt to build a consensus among stakeholder groups and avoid further polarization.

Commissioners coupled the delay with a decision to ask federal authorities to defer to the FWC to spearhead manatee management decisions and protection measures and explore deferral by federal courts.