PINELLAS FISH KILL CLEANUP

DRC was contracted by Pinellas County, Florida in early September 2018 to clean up dead fish resulting from a 1 million acre red tide algae plume out in the gulf. DRC implemented equipment and technology to gather the dead fish before they ever reached the shoreline. Using shrimp boats, skimmer boats, Weedoo boats, pontoon boats and support boats in the inlet areas, DRC’s crews were able to remove the fish before they washed ashore, keeping the beaches clean and viable for visitors.  

The plume originated in Lee County, Florida (Sanibel Island) and moved north through Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The other affected counties were handled by competitors with beach hand rakes. Pinellas County was the first municipality to use DRC’s methods of offshore fish removal. DRC’s innovative methods focus on retrieving as many dead fish as possible before reaching the shore, mitigating the effect on tourism and beach cleanup in Pinellas’ crown jewel, Clearwater Beach.  

DRC crews, with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard, monitored the red tide plume’s movement by helicopter, coordinating with the Florida Wildlife Commission as to the migration and effect of the algae.