Red tide is back in Coral Shores. Some residents call on county to clean up dead fish

Dead fish started drifting into the canals a few weeks ago — and the stench was not far behind, according to Coral Shores resident Gilbert Consuegra.

Consuegra and others who live in the water-locked Coral Shores community in Bradenton are feeling the effects of a red tide bloom that continues to plague local waters.

“...You can hardly get out of the stench,” Consuega said on Saturday. “It’s hard to breathe.”

In Coral Shores, hundreds of homes lie on long fingers of land that curve out into Sarasota Bay. So when red tide debris pushes into the canals between houses, there’s no retreat for residents —the unpleasantness is right in the backyard. Some canal areas had large pockets of dead fish over the weekend.

“Once it’s in the canals it’s hard to get out,” Consuega said.

Now, some Coral Shores residents and members of its home owner’s association are calling on Manatee County to help clean up and prevent the mess.

“The canals are full of it,” said Coral Shores resident Janet Forbes, who has also had trouble breathing outside. “I know it’s a big endeavor. But during times like these we need to have emergency procedures in place for the health of the people. I really do think the county needs to step up with this.”

Red tides are notoriously patchy, impacting some areas heavily while others are almost unaffected.

Susan Pearson, another Coral Shores resident, says effects from the current bloom haven’t been too bad in her part of the neighborhood. Pearson said she witnessed “a smattering” of dead fish in the canal over the weekend, but they were quickly swept away. She also hasn’t noticed any breathing irritation.

Pearson, who moved to the community just as a major red tide hit in 2018, remembers how the dead fish completely covered the canals and the county tried to clean them.

“It was a huge undertaking for the county in 2018,” Pearson said. “They tried contracting out-of work-fisherman to clean up the fish in the canals. But they couldn’t even put a dent in it. It was just an unworkable situation.”

The current red tide event has killed hundreds of tons of marine life in Southwest Florida and brought noxious conditions to beaches and coastlines, including some parts of Manatee County and Anna Maria Island.

Several weeks ago, Manatee County officials initiated red tide cleanup and response on and around the island. County staff are collecting dead sea life off beaches, and contracted boats are scooping dead fish out of the water before they reach the shore.

But this time, neighborhoods and residential areas are on their own for cleanup, according to the county.

“Manatee County Government does not have the resources to clean residential areas and neighborhood canals,” the county’s red tide information page states. “If dead sea life reaches your property and you choose to remove it, you can take the trash to Coquina or Manatee Beach where there are roll off dumpsters being emptied daily. Some Manatee County residents have also installed floating booms around the perimeter of their canal to keep red tide debris from floating into the channel.”

“That’s a lot of expense to put on residents,” Forbes said of the county’s suggestions.

And Consuegra argued that residential areas should get the same treatment as tourism hot spots like Anna Maria Island. He also expressed concern about the health impacts of the rotting fish on residents.

“I’m just worried that the county doesn’t care about these canals. They are important to the community. And there’s a lot of elderly people that live here and they won’t be able to go outside.”

When this happens, it’s like a hurricane,” said Forbes. “People have to step up, counties have to step up and do the best that they can. You can’t avoid disasters.”

Pearson is hoping along with her neighbors that the situation does not get any worse.

“We’re braced for whatever comes our way,” Pearson said. “I’m placing all my hope with Mote Marine (Laboratory) to come up with a solution. I’d love to see that happen, because it’s sad to see all those dead fish.”

Are red tide conditions improving?

Varying levels of dead fish and respiratory irritation were reported at public beaches on Anna Maria Island throughout the weekend. The most recent water samples from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission show red tide lingering at very low to medium levels in Gulf of Mexico and Intracoastal waters around the island and Manatee County.

However, better conditions may be on the horizon.

Forecasts from the University of South Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute predict that red tide’s presence is waning for the time being near Manatee County.

A coastal red tide forecast predicts that significant levels of red tide will dissipate around Anna Maria Island and coastal Manatee County over the next several days.

A respiratory conditions forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts mostly “very low” breathing irritation around Anna Maria Island over the next day and a half, though the southern end of the island may experience some “moderate” levels.

Red tide conditions could remain worse farther south along Longboat Key and Sarasota County, according to the forecasts. The USF forecast predicts that red tide may retain its strong presence there through at least mid-week. Respiratory irritation over the next day and a half is predicted to vary greatly by beach, with some areas of Sarasota County experiencing moderate to high levels, according to NOAA.

This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 9:30 PM.