More fish kills reported in Miami-Dade
MIAMI - More fish kills have been reported in Miami-Dade County over the past few days. The areas affected include Bayfront Park, Miami Shores, North Bay Village, and North Miami Beach, so far.
The Miami Waterkeeper tells CBS 4 that several thousand fish have reportedly washed up on shore. Waterkeeper Rachel Silverstein said, "We're very concerned that this could grow and escalate. We are now starting to see regular fish kills in Biscayne bay, where it was a rare event previously."
The Mayor of Miami Dade County Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement, "Our Bay is very fragile, from decades of neglect and climate change. It will take years to reverse the damage, but we have already implemented many changes, including an annual report card."
The Miami Waterkeeper says this situation is very reminiscent of 2020 when over 27,000 fish kills were reported. Something Silverstein says we have no been seeing every August and October since.
She said, "The root cause over what is making the bay so vulnerable to having these fish kills is pollution. Pollution specifically coming from septic, sewage leaks, stormwater and fertilizer overuse."
CBS 4 also spoke with environmentalist and founder of Clean Miami Beach Sophie Ringel who hosts monthly cleanups. She tells CBS 4 the pollution is only getting worse. Ringel commented on the recent fish kills and said, "Everybody is very very concerned. We are all in shock… and it's just heartbreaking to see these fish are dying in front of us."
The Miami Waterkeeper, Miami-Dade County and other agencies have been proactive since 2020's massive fish kill. Silverstein tells CBS 4 they have better tracking and reporting tools in place. She also said they have been out on boats already taking samples.
Click here to report a fish kill in your area or track where they have been reported.
