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NAPLES, Fla. – As red tide has returned to Southwest Florida, with dead fish and dead eels washing ashore on beaches, you may be wondering if you can still eat your favorite fish or seafood.
A red tide, or a harmful algae bloom, occurs “when microscopic algae multiply to higher-than-normal concentrations,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notes.
When the toxin from red tide is inhaled, it can cause respiratory symptoms in people, such as coughing, wheezing and sore throats. In marine life, it’s a killer that affects the nervous system and can cause paralysis.
The algae, which is known formally as the single-cell Karenia brevis, has concentrated near Tampa and neighboring communities.
Scientists have found the algae at rates ranging from 10,000 cells per liter to more than 1 million cells per liter – levels that result in fish kills and breathing difficulties in exposed humans, according to the FWC.
Heading to the beach no longer sounds too appealing, and the presence of red tide begs the question: How safe is it to eat the seafood?
What is red tide? Red tide is blanketing some Florida beaches. What you need to know about the toxic algae
Counties impacted:Red tide has overtaken much of Florida’s southwest coast. See the hot spots.
Can you eat fish during Florida’s red tide?
TheFWC reports on itswebsite that “yes, it is safe to eat local finfish as long as the fish are filleted before eaten.”
“However,” FWC cautions, “it is never a good idea to eat dead or distressed animals, especially in a red tide area because the reason for the animal’s strange behavior or death cannot be absolutely known.”
Can you eat shellfish at a restaurant or buy it from seafood market during red tide?
The FWC website also says store-bought, restaurant-served shellfish is “safe to eat during a bloom because the shellfish are monitored by the government for safety.”
“Commercially available shellfish are often not locally harvested, and, if harvested locally, are tested for red tide toxins before they are sold,” the FWC site read.
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How far out from shore is it safe to catch seafood from the Gulf
Red tide blooms can extend 20, 30 miles or more from the shoreline into the Gulf of Mexico, so many commercial fishing businesses will head out much farther to play it safe.
Katie Fischer, owner-operator of Island Seafood in Matlacha, Florida, told The Fort Myers News-Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2018 that their company-owned boats during a red tide that year would fish for grouper and snapper 80 to 100 miles offshore.
After Hurricane Ian last fall, some questioned how safe it was to eat fish and shellfish from the Gulf and waterways.
Chanda Jamieson, a Southwest Florida seafood seller-owner of The Fisherman’s Daughter, said fish was safe to eat as long as it was properly prepared and cooked.
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“Fishing families have seen Southwest Florida’s water quality change over time, encountering red tide and algal blooms, as well as the presence of (Vibrio) bacteria,” Jamieson told The News-Press in November.
“This has been going on for years, and through it all, commercial fishermen and local seafood processors have continued to put time and care into each and every catch, ensuring it is cooled and cooked properly.”
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Follow Dave Osborn on Twitter: @NDN_dosborn.
Contributing: Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Orlando Mayorquin and Kimberly Miller, USA TODAY NETWORK.
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