Authorities Approve Move To Feed Starving Manatees Amid Record Deaths

In an "unusual" move, federal authorities have approved an effort to feed the starving manatees in Florida after a year of record deaths.

More than 600 manatee deaths were reported from Florida's east coast from December 2020 to May 2021, Save the Manatee Club noted. Even then, it was already the record number of deaths reported in the state over a six-month period. The number reached an "all-time record" of 1,017 manatee carcass recoveries by Nov. 19. More than half of these deaths took place within the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), according to CBS News.

Starvation has been identified as the main reason for the high number of manatee deaths. When excess nutrient pollution such as sewage and fertilizer runoff enters the water, it causes algal blooms that kill coastal seagrass, leading to a dramatic loss of the manatees' main food source.

According to Save the Manatees Club, some 90% of the seagrass in IRL has been lost to the "persistent annual algal blooms" that have been around for more than a decade now.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved the plan to supplement the diet of malnourished manatees in IRL on Dec. 2, Save the Manatee Club noted.

Although the formal announcement will be released later in the week, according to Reuters, Carly Jones of FWC confirmed to the outlet that "Unified Command does have approval to move forward on a limited feeding trial." For the effort, the experts would feed the animals with romaine lettuce and cabbage, as these are what manatees in captivity eat.

'Unusual' Move in Conservation

This "limited, experimental" move is actually quite "unusual" in conservation as wild animals are typically left to forage or hunt on their own so they won't be dependent on human handouts, Reuters noted. However, the move aims to give them "just enough" food to help prevent yet another loss of manatees this winter, as most of the deaths this year happened during the colder months from January to March.

"We want to thank both the Service and also the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for taking this important step," Patrick Rose, an aquatic biologist and the executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, said in the organization's statement.

"We have made our position on the provisioning of supplemental food for manatees known to the state and federal government and believe this will be a significant move to help prevent another severe loss of manatees due to starvation that occurred last winter."

However, it is still illegal for people to feed manatees without the proper permits. As Rose explained, the manatees may lose their fear of people and boats if they get used to and associate them with the handouts. This could lead to the creatures being "harassed, injured or killed."

"We are asking people please don't feed them on your own, and share this message with your friends, family, and neighbors," Rose said.

Help Save The Manatees

Apart from the move to supplement the creatures' diets, there have also been efforts to improve the water quality and replant seagrass, Save the Manatee Club said.

Cora Berchem, who is also a part of Save the Manatee Club, told CBS News that "we need to fix this problem" since it's also humans who caused it.

"It's not gonna be a quick fix," she told the outlet. "I strongly believe if we all work together and we all do our part, we can still make a difference."

Save the Manatee Club has listed some of the things people can do to help save the manatees and their habitats, which include reducing pollution to avoid algal blooms, not feeding the manatees and joining cleanup efforts. People are also encouraged to report sick, distressed or dead manatees.