Manatee County Hires Contractors To Help Clean Red Tide Fish Kill

Fish kills on Venice Beach by photographer Adam Hutchinson. To view more Adam Hutchinson photographs, click here.

MANATEE COUNTY, FL – As Manatee County struggles to keep up with the onslaught of dead and decaying fish littering its beaches, canals and waterways, the Manatee County government announced plans to hire a vendors to remove red tide fish kills from smaller canals and waterways where fish have begun to foul local waters and the stench is overwhelming residents.

Manatee County Parks and Property Maintenance crews have cleaned public beaches and parks in Anna Maria since the first signs of red tide last week. To date, 151 tons of red tide-related waste has been removed from public beaches and parks.

County employees will be out Saturday, Aug. 28 to assess areas and come up with an action plan. Vendors will head out Monday to start cleaning up, beginning with the most affected areas.

"We're not going to be able to remove the floating fish in our open bays, our rivers and the gulf,” said Manatee County director of Parks and Recreation Charlie Hunsicker. “But where they've collected by the tide and by nook and cranny and corner, that's where we're going to go,"

Since the waterways are so narrow, the vendors will use small watercraft and collect the fish kill with nets.

However, it’s a massive job so the county is asking the public to pitch in wherever possible. Already, local fishermen have been assisting in the effort.

The county’s posts updates on these cleanup efforts daily here.

Residents can get the latest beach conditions, a list of health and safety resources from state agencies and an update on cleanup within residential canals and waterways.

Starting today, a hotline will also be available for residents who have questions or concerns about red tide. The hotline, 941-749-3547, is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, click here.

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