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FWC updates committee on gopher-tortoise relocations, wildlife disease surveillance and Keys sanctuary review
Summary
FWC staff told the committee that gopher-tortoise relocations have moved roughly 127,000 tortoises from development sites to recipient sites, that the agency is tracking several wildlife-disease events including chronic wasting disease and a fish neurologic event, and that the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s final plan is in a 45-day federal review window.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff provided three briefings to the committee: an update on the statewide gopher-tortoise relocation program, an overview of ongoing wildlife-disease investigations and surveillance, and a status report on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary management-plan and rulemaking process.
Gopher tortoises: FWC staff said tortoises are found in all 67 counties and are state-listed as threatened; burrows support more than 350 other species. FWC reported that roughly 127,000 tortoises have been relocated off lands slated for development to date and that the recipient-site program currently has 149 enrolled sites covering about 97,000 acres. Staff said 21 sites were added in the last two years, increasing capacity by about 18,000 tortoises, and emphasized recipient-site availability as critical to the permitting and relocation program.
Wildlife disease surveillance: FWC summarized several active efforts. Chronic wasting disease (a prion disease) was detected recently in a single northern-county deer; staff said the agency enacted a management response and has not detected additional positive cases. FWC described feline leukomyelopathy (FLM) as a rare neurological disease affecting juvenile panthers and bobcats; FWC reported 26 confirmed and 75 probable cases since 2017 and said investigators are studying environmental toxins as potential contributors. The agency also reviewed a recent fish neurologic event referred to colloquially as “spinning fish,” noting localized sawfish fatalities and that investigations point to environmental toxins (likely algal) rather than infectious agents. Staff emphasized the importance of timely public reporting and citizen-science tips — the FWC hotline, online reporting and partner coordination are central to surveillance and response.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: FWC said the sanctuary’s final restoration blueprint rule and management plan were released and are now in a 45-calendar-day congressional review and consultation window; FWC is coordinating with the governor’s office and the sanctuary to resolve outstanding state-federal management agreement language and ensure state authorities are respected within state waters. Staff flagged several issues around state versus federal jurisdiction and listed five management agreements that need updating.
Nut graf: FWC’s briefings emphasized capacity constraints and the need for recipient sites for tortoise relocations, continuing scientific work to investigate wildlife illnesses affecting high-conservation-value species, and active intergovernmental negotiation about the sanctuary’s final plan.
Ending: committee members had no recorded follow-up votes on the presentations; staff asked senators to direct constituents to FWC reporting hotlines for wildlife disease and stressed ongoing interagency coordination on the Keys sanctuary blueprint under review by Congress and the governor.
