Area 1622 of the
Apalachicola Bay will close at sunset today because of red tide.
Area 1622 is the conditionally
approved winter west 2 area of the Apalachicola Bay.
Red Tide is now being found very
high to low concentrations in a number of locations in the bay.
The Department of Agriculture
said the highest concentrations by far are at Indian Pass.
They are also finding high levels
at 13 mile and lower levels at Sikes cut and Cat Point.
This is the second section of the
bay to be closed to oyster harvesting this week because of red tide – the
approved winter west area 1611 was closed on Tuesday.
The state has been monitoring red
tide along the panhandle for weeks, but it has stayed mainly west of the
Apalachicola bay.
The Department of Agriculture
continues to take water samples from around the area – but say that even when
the tests come back clean it will take some time to reopen the closed areas.
That’s because now the oyster
meat itself has to be tested to make sure that there is no red tide toxin left
in the oysters.
Red Tide was last seen in
Franklin County in high amounts in 2005, when it closed the Apalachicola bay to
oyster harvesting for nearly 6 months.
Red Tide is an organism that in
large enough concentrations releases a neurotoxin that can kill fish and even
affect humans.
The effect on humans is generally
an irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.
http://live.oysterradio.com/
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