Florida Approves Test Feeding Plan For Manatees

An unprecedented plan to feed starving manatees in Florida is in the works as officials scramble to save the dying population.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state environmental officials made the plan to feed the wild manatees after more than 1,000 manatees began to die from starvation. While feeding wildlife is usually prohibited, this situation was dire and called for drastic measures to be taken.

The recent numbers of starving manatees have been linked back to man-made pollution and sewage runoff that has caused blue-green algae blooms, a type of algae that can kill off the manatees’ natural source of food.

Save The Manatee Club Executive Director Patrick Rose said, “It’s the entire ecosystem that is affected by this and will be affected for a decade to come. This is a necessary stopgap measure. It is a problem created by man, and man is going to have to solve it.”

The feeding trial has been approved, but a few areas are still being finalized. The plans would involve feeding the manatees greens in a controlled manner where they often migrate for the winter.

The public will still not be allowed to feed the manatee as officials only want to supply the necessary food to keep them alive. They want to avoid encouraging manatees to depend on human help.

Sign this petition to urge Florida lawmakers to pass laws to protect clean water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Manatees and other marine animals need their habitats to be protected!

Related Content:

• Manatees Dying in Record Numbers in Florida
• Food Scarcity Causing Record Number of Manatee Population Deaths
• Still at Risk, Manatees in Danger of Losing Protection
• Florida Manatees Dying Due to Famine

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