August 20, 2018 — Florida, U.S.A. restaurants and other businesses are suffering losses from red tide and blue green algae, which have killed millions of fish and impacted public perception of the region.
Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency last week, after the red tide bloom expanded to affect around 130 miles of coastline in Southwest Florida. The new declaration for Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties will provide money and resources to combat the ongoing red tide and blue green algae problems.
In Lee County, around 2.7 million pounds of dead fish have been found on the beaches in August. Dead fish from red tide have turned up in multiple locations in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, and Collier counties, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
While FWC officials say that Gulf of Mexico and Florida seafood sold in stores and served at restaurants are safe to eat, some restaurants along the coast of Florida have experienced plummeting sales since the red tide began earlier this summer.
“What we are hearing is that most folks are fine, but some folks on the water are experiencing decreased sales,” Amanda Handley, press secretary for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, told SeafoodSource.
When restaurants and hotels receive questions about whether they are serving seafood impacted by red tide or blue green algae, they explain that their seafood is purchased through distributors that have to be inspected by the state.