Florida FWC caught lying again – it’s their standard modus operandi
By Staci-lee Sherwood
It’s no surprise that the Florida state Fish Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been caught lying, their negligence has been well documented for years. Since 2008 I’ve worked on several FWC permits for Sea Turtles, was appointed to one of the committees in 2012 and in 2025 spent over a year putting out trail cams for them. I’ve documented all their false claims about Sea Turtles, Bears, Panthers and more. The commission chair, Rodney Barreto a former Miami City cop during the 1980s, has publically stated he’s a business man out to make money. He has dozens of LLC’s for all his real estate ventures around the state. All other board members are also developers or hunters. Conservation isn’t even a thought.
Last month they had a public hearing about the need for protections for Sloths which I attended and spoke at. Back in May 2026 it was reported that 55 imported Sloths died needlessly in a warehouse in Orlando. FWC had been alerted to their arrival ahead of time but did nothing. When news broke about the deaths FWC did not investigate until several weeks had passed. Then in August FWC made the bold but not surprising statement that the owner of Sloth World, Ben Agresta was not to blame.
FWC has a history of inflating numbers of Bears and Sea Turtle hatchlings that actually make it to the water to make their agency look good. They under report the deaths of Sea Turtle hatchlings by the tens of thousands because then the USFWS would have to pull their permit and do the work themselves. They do studies on how their own spraying of herbicides kills the endangered Snail Kite yet they continue to spray every body of water in Florida with toxic poison. It's been evident for years the entire Commission must go. Their blatant disregard for wildlife, their own policies and open corruption has hit a fever pitch. The staff is equally at fault, they are too weak to be believed and lack the spine to stand up to the lies and fraud the agency is known for. The latest assault on the facts and truth was the Sloth hearing.
Sloths belong in the wild
The Sloth is a large mammal that lives high up in the trees in the forests of Central and South America. They spend almost all their time up there and rarely venture down to the ground. They don’t socialize in the wild, they’re designed to be solitary creatures that move very slowly. They have an extremely slow metabolism. The three-toed species has a strict diet of leaves, shoots, twigs and seeds. The two-toes species also eats fruits and flowers. Their natural diet from the wild can’t be replicated by zoos or pet owners, regardless of how well intentioned.
As solitary creatures can you imagine how they must be stressed by the constant holding, petting and photographing they must endure in zoos and commercial venues that charge money for these encounters. Can you imagine how YOU would feel having to be put through this day in and day out? They live in small enclosures never getting the chance to be in solitude or high up where they would normally feel safe. Of all the wild animals to be forced to live like this the gentle Sloth would be the most ill suited and miserable. Their facial features make them appear to be smiling. That’s what we humans want to see but their physical features hide the truth of what they really feel. These gentle giants shouldn’t be anywhere near humans. It’s a tragic sign of human depravity that we allow these animals to be exploited at epidemic rates.
How Florida fails to protect them
After the death of the Sloths in Orlando and the public outrage that ensued FWC hasn’t done much to protect them. They held a public meeting trying to address the need for more protection. What about all the Sloths already here stuck in zoos and roadside attractions enduring the hourly encounters? Will there even be an enforable ban on importing more? Knowing how much FWC is an obstacle to real conservation when it comes tp Panthers, Bears, Sea Turtles to name a few, there is little belief they will do much of anything in the end. The tragedy in Orlando tells more about FWC’s view of wildlife than all the public hearings they hold.
I’ve spoken at many FWC hearings over the years and it’s always apparent they have already made up their minds to either do nothing, increase hunting or increase development long before public comment. It’s the same outcome no matter the species or issue.
During their hearing I asked if they had approved a permit for Larry Wallach. I had spoken at a hearing in Margate about denying him approval for his Sloth encounter business due to multiple animal abuse violations. FWC claimed “we do not have a current commercial application for Margate from Mr Wallach and any permit he does have is for his personal pet.” FWC did in fact issue him a Class III permit for commercial use. FWC is either embarrassingly incompetent, willfully stupid or negligent if they don’t even know who they issue permits to. Wildlife has zero chance with these people in charge.
Click here to hear my statement and FWC lie when they said they did not approve a permit for Larry Wallach
Here is a copy of the FWC Class III permit that FWC lied about giving Larry Wallach. I had to FOIA the City of Margate for the public records from Larry Wallach’s attorney. It clearly shows it’s for commercial use.
Click here to read about all the animal abuses Larry Wallach has stacked up, how his license from the USDA was revoked yet he still roams around Florida with a Sloth planning another animal exploitative business in Margate
How to help them
New legislation has been introduced in the House of Representative in Washington DC. It’s the result of months of work led by the Sloth Protection Alliance which was formed by the Sloth Conservation Foundation and the Sloth Institute. Both groups worked with U.S. lawmakers to develop the bill and bring to Congress. This follows the deaths of 55 Sloths connected to Sloth World Orlando. House Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Representative Laurel M. Lee (R-FL) introduced the bill jointly, bringing Democrats and Republicans together to protect wild sloths.
The bill has some flaws namely it does NOT ban the encounters or private ownership of those animals already here they would be grandfathered in. It focuses on importing since almost all Sloths are wild caught to live in captivity. It’s a start and better than what exists.
Never participate or financially support any business that exploits animals especially those promoting Sloth encounters.
Support groups fighting to save them in the wild where they belong
Click here to learn more
https://www.theslothinstitute.org/
https://www.slothconservation.org/
Contact Rep. Maxwell Frost (202) 225-2176 and Rep. Laurel Lee (202) 225-5626 and ask they bring their proposed bill Stopping Legalized Organized Trafficking and Harm to Sloths (SLOTHS) Act 2026 to the House floor for a vote
Contact YOUR state and federal reps and push for a ban on importing Sloths and all non native animals.
Click here to find your federal reps in government https://www.realitycheckswithstacilee.com/resources-links
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