As Florida's record manatee die-off nears 1,000 victims so far this year, the state's top wildlife official asked lawmakers for $7 million dollars more in 2022 to save starving sea cows and suggested that his agency temporarily do what would today get you a $500-dollar fine and/or up to 60 days in prison: tossing them a few scraps of leafy blades. As seagrass withers statewide, manatees have had little to eat this year, leaving them vulnerable to disease, cold and starvation. If the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission decides to feed manatees in the wild this winter, there's no agreement yet on the best approach. But the intent would be to relieve pressure on rescue attempts and rehab centers, said Martine deWit, the veterinarian who runs FWC's necropsy lab in St. Petersburg.