When would the Service be able to remove the manatee from the Endangered Species List?
A13: A decision to de-list any species must be supported by the best scientific and commercial data available and only considered if such data substantiates that the species is neither endangered nor threatened for one or more of the following reasons: (1) the species is considered extinct; (2) the species is considered to be recovered; and/or (3) the original data available when the species was listed, or the interpretation of such data, were in error. Any change in Federal classification, including removal from the Federal endangered and threatened species list, would require a separate rulemaking process, including ample opportunity for public review and comment.