Thousands of dead fish wash ashore in Milton, raising ecosystem and removal concerns – WEAR
Now 33 Sat 55 Sun 60by Hannah JamesTOPICS:MILTON, Fla. — The freezing temperatures have created a scene in a Milton neighborhood. Thousands of dead mullet are washing ashore.Homeowners have several questions. Like, how will this impact the local ecosystem? And what are their options for removal?On Wednesday, thousands of dead fish started washing up on the shores of six basins just off the Blackwater River.”We had one of these happen back in 2008. These are small to medium sized mullets,” said David Samples, a homeowner and president of Save Blackwater River. “The one we had in 2008 were large mullet. But you can see the magnitude of the kill off here, it’s pretty devastating. Very devastating.”Homeowners along the Magnolia Basin, are wondering what to do with the mass fish kill.”You kind of have to take it by the tide cycle, because this is going to happen for a few days,” Samples said. “Basically, we got out with our waders and boots today and we started collecting this stuff up to get it out of the beachline. That’s going to happen for a few days. Something of this magnitude, I wouldn’t even know where to start on this one. Otherwise, I’d be pulling my Kubota tractor and dump trailer into something like this.”Samples said some fishermen came by to take fish from him for bait.The homeowner who woke up to this scene Wednesday started shoveling fish out on her own. She says a land clearer quoted her about a thousand dollars to help haul off the rest.Another neighbor spent the past two days contacting everyone she knew looking for removal solutions.”Time’s ticking right now, the temperatures are rising,” said homeowner Lakeshia Gilliard. “And I know everyone is concerned right now.”The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission says she is outside of city limits, state land and federal parks, so it is a county issue.Her next call was to Santa Rosa Public Works, who informed her Northwest Florida Water Management owns and manages the area around that basin.Northwest Florida Water Management redirected her to the Florida Department of Waterways.”Truth of the matter is, if we bring in clay out this basin, red clay, and it runs into this water, into Wright Basin, we get fined,” Gilliard said. “The fine is astronomical. Whoever comes and fines us is who I want to talk to, is who I think our neighborhood wants to speak to. Because if we’re able to get fines for polluting this water, and there have been tons of fines on this basin, then I think that needs to be who is in charge, or who we need to contact. We just haven’t gotten a straightforward answer.”With the stench comes wildlife. Neighbors are concerned with black bears or coyotes meandering the shores to eat the mullet.WEAR News also was in touch with FWC, but there’s no official response from them yet.
