Can I still go fishing during red tide? And other red-tide questions | Bradenton Herald

The nearly annual event that bums out locals and frustrates out-of-towners has hit Manatee and Sarasota with the only high-level red-tide readings in Florida. Local waters have more than 1 million cells per liter of red tide, the latest numbers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission show.

On Monday, beaches in north Anna Maria Island had a few dead fish, so beachgoers treated it as a regular day. But dead fish littered the southern part of the island, and it was much emptier.

So what can you do? Can you still go swimming? What about eating that fish you caught earlier? Here are the answers to some red-tide related questions:

What can I do outdoors when red tide is rampant?

Red tide can’t exist for long in low-salt waters like lakes and rivers.

If you need to be outside and can’t stand the thought of diving into itchy, smelly, dead-fish filled waters, here are five local freshwater alternatives (remember there is that rare risk of naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating bacteria found in warm bodies of fresh water):

• At Jigg’s Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., visitors can rent kayaks and canoes, fish and watch some wildlife.
• Lake Manatee State Park, 20007 State Road 64, welcomes boaters, swimmers, hikers, campers and pets.
• Myakka River State Park, 13208 State Road 72, is one of the state’s oldest and largest parks, with the Myakka watershed running through it.
• Under an hour’s drive to the north and south of Bradenton are the two nearest springs. Lithia Springs, 3932 Lithia Springs Road in Hillsborough County, is a small natural spring near the Alafia River. Warm Mineral Springs in North Port, 12200 San Servando Ave., is dubbed “The Fountain of Youth” and is a sinkhole through which a spring supplies 87 degree water.

Why does red tide affect how I breathe if it’s in the water?

While red tide forms off shore, the cells of the phytoplankton K. brevis that affect the central nervous system of fish can break open just by the force of a rolling wave, which releases the toxins into the air and wind brings it on shore.

The symptoms that come about through red tide exposure include coughing, itchy throat, sneezing and watery eyes.

There’s so many dead fish on the beach. What happens to them?

“Each beach could have a different protocol,” FWC spokeswoman Kelly Richmond said.

Nicholas Azzara, Manatee County information outreach manager, said the two county beaches haven’t seen significant fish kill, but a beach-combing tractor picked up a few bait fish.

“In the rare instance that private property owners spot a fish kill near their property, they can bag them and place them in their dumpster for regular weekly pickup,” he said.

In Sarasota, if the amount of fish is high, fish will be picked up with a mechanical rake and hauled to the landfill. Smaller amounts of fish will be left for nature to take care of. The Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources staff is aided by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office work offender program.

“Crews were out over the weekend and will continue to monitor the situation and impacts from the tide,” said Sarasota County spokesman Jason Bartolone.

Can I still go fishing? Swimming?

“Definitely. You can go ahead and fish,” Richmond said. “Obviously, you wouldn’t want to eat anything that’s already dead.”

The FWC website notes that toxins can gather in the guts of a fish, but as long as it’s filleted (cooking doesn’t kill the toxins), it should be safe.

Swimming is safe for most people, Richmond said, but it can cause skin and lung irritation. Rinsing off after swimming in red-tide waters is highly recommended. If severe symptoms persist, Richmond suggested seeking medical attention or calling Poison Control.

Pet owners should look after their animals carefully, making sure to rinse them off as well and seeing that they don’t eat dead fish.

“Dogs can ingest toxins differently,” Richmond said. If they clean their paws after swimming in red-tide waters, it could be an extra hazard.