State Vows Red Tide Help For Tampa Bay As Groups Seek State Of Emergency
WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | By Steve Newborn
Published July 20, 2021 at 11:04 AM EDT
More than two dozen businesses and conservation groups Monday asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency to help fight the outbreak of red tide in Tampa Bay. The hundreds of tons of dead marine life discovered in recent weeks has included manatees and goliath groupers — which can weigh hundreds of pounds -- as well as pufferfish, eel, horseshoe crabs, sheepshead, mullet, snook, red drum, tarpon, sharks, grouper and catfish.
“Red tide’s carnage is horrific and infuriating,” said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group.
“Tampa Bay desperately needs help cleaning up this mess, and Florida needs to get its act together and start holding polluters accountable or this will continue to be a significant threat to our way of life.”
Added Glenn Compton, chairman of the advocacy group ManaSota-88: “The current red tide outbreak clearly demonstrates Florida is not doing enough to hold polluters accountable for their actions. It is time Florida’s weak water-quality standards be strengthened in order to prevent future red tide blooms.”
More here
https://www.wfit.org/environment-and-science/2021-07-20/state-vows-red-tide-help-for-tampa-bay-as-groups-seek-state-of-emergency
