Texas: Fish Kills Stretching Nearly 7 Miles Along Beach Coast Triggers Red Tide Alerts

By Rod Santa Ana – “BROWNSVILLE – Acting on a tip from a constituent, Cameron County Commissioner Sofia Benavides recently drove out to a section of the Gulf Coast within her jurisdiction, Boca Chica Beach, between the mouth of the Rio Grande and the jetties at South Padre Island.

‘I was shocked to see a large fish kill stretching for almost 7 miles along the beach,’ she said. ‘Birds were pecking at the dead fish as the tide brought them in. I expected to see lots of different types of fish but there was only one. The stench was strong and my throat was hurting by the time I left.’

Fearing a possible red tide, Benavides reported the fish kill to several authorities, including Tony Reisinger, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for coastal and marine resources based in San Benito.

Benavides and Reisinger set into motion a seasoned response team that investigates red tide. If cell counts in water samples warrant, the public is notified via the Cameron County Department of Health and Human Services.

‘A fish kill is one of the first indicators of a red tide bloom,’ said Yvette Salinas, the department’s health administrator. ‘It’s important to know the severity of a possible red tide event because many people are sensitive to the aerosol that red tide releases, especially people with respiratory problems such as asthma. Ingesting dead fish can also be fatal to pets, so we want to alert the public as soon as possible.'” Read more.