MANATEE, Fla. -- Manatee County is expanding its efforts to clean up the effects of red tide. Contractors are going to survey waterways over the weekend and see what they can clean up starting on Monday with nets and by hand.
But some communities are not waiting for the county's help.
“The stench is beyond belief,” Keith Kaiman tells Tin Pham before he starts cleaning up the canal in his neighborhood.
“Tin, I’d greatly appreciate you. Do the best you can to get this dead fish out of the area,” he said.
Fortunately for Pham, there’s weren't as many dead fish Friday as there was the day before.
“Just two days ago, there was a strong east wind and we had thousands of fish at this end of the canal yesterday, similar to today, but not as much,” said Kaiman.
It looked similar to other canals, like one in Coral Shores, says Kaiman, Flamingo Cay’s HOA president.
What the tide washed in, it also washed out … almost.
Kaiman says the community didn’t want to wait for the next wave of dead fish.
“These dead fish have to go someplace. If we don’t get the dead fish out of the area, it’s our belief they'll go down into the canal and rot there,” said Kaiman.
Pham is one of nearly a dozen fisherman hired by Manatee County to clean up canals.
“We got a bit of calls from Longboat to here in Manatee,” said Pham.
Using a garbage bag and net, he gets to work one scoop at a time.
It’s a smelly job. Pham said, “Definitely not for everyone. The smell is really overwhelming.”
He volunteered not just for the extra work but because he, too, wants to see red tide gone.
“It’s part of my community I want to help we’re always in the water. My wife and daughter don’t have a place to go to the beach,” said Pham.
There’s no guarantee the fish won’t return. Pham said, “It might be worse tomorrow.”
But at least this day this canal is free of the dead fish and the smell.
The cost to clean up the canals varies. Flamingo Cay’s HOA president said he called the names on the county’s list and the prices ranged from $10 an hour up to $200 an hour.
Manatee County said Friday that it will extend red tide cleanup from the Gulf coastline to smaller canals and waterways.
Officials said the county and its vendor will survey local waterways this weekend to see what areas need cleaning up, and cleanup of the most affected areas will begin Monday.
“We’re taking up the challenge to try to remedy the fish kill situation taking place as result of red tide,” County Administrator Ed Hunzeker said. “We’re going to get into the canals, waterways and channels both on the mainland, the Island and Longboat Key to pick up the maximum fish we can in the shortest amount of time.”
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, officials said.
Starting Saturday, a red tide hotline will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week as conditions persist. Residents can call with questions about red tide and the cleanup operations. The red tide hotline number is (941) 749-3547.
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