PHOTO COURTESY CHICAGO BOAT CO.

Hurricane season is officially over, but the back-to-back punches from Helene and Milton that hit Florida’s Gulf Coast in September and October created widespread abandoned vessel problems. Now there are reports of red tide.

Experts are monitoring conditions in Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota counties, some of the most popular boating areas along the state’s west coast. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has identified red tide of varying levels in the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Sarasota areas.

“We could be experiencing the impacts of the last couple of storms, the runoff and all the pollution from those that flowed into our rivers, bays and Gulf Coast waterways now triggering the red tide blooms,” said Justin Tramble with Tampa Bay Waterkeepers.

“Overall, it wasn’t as much fun being here this morning, as it usually is,” said Jeoffrey Longster, who loves going to Treasure Island Beach. Longster is one of the many tourists who visit this popular beach, but said this year is different than others.

“It’s just not very comfortable,” said Longster. “There’s a lot of debris, dead bait fish and stuff that’s washed up from the sea. Not only did Helene and Milton devastate the beach sand itself, but now there’s one more thing to worry about.”

The two storms also resulted in a large number of derelict boats along the area’s waterways. Clearly, a bunch of sunken or beached boats aren’t sending a positive message about the joys of buying and owning a boat, so fast action to remove said vessels is applauded.

In Pinellas County, swift action is being taken to remove the boats. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri reports the county has begun removing the neglected boats. “They have become an eyesore and pose a safety threat to swimmers and boaters,” he says.

Pinellas County has begun removing almost three dozen derelict boats. Speaking at a Monday news conference along the Intracoastal Waterway in Dunedin, as a derelict boat behind him was removed, Gualtieri announced that the county could begin efforts to remove a total of 34 boats that fit the definition of a derelict after a new process was put in place that would allow the boats to be removed.

Gualtieri cited safety concerns, along with concerns from residents that the neglected boats had become an eyesore. “They’ve just been abandoned irresponsibly by their owners,” Gualtieri said. “In some cases, they’ve been left there for a year. That just doesn’t get it done anymore because they’re a danger to the public, a danger to boaters, a danger to people on personal watercraft, and a danger to swimmers. And besides that, they’re also an eyesore.”

Through a new process established by FWC, Gualtieri said the county began posting 21-day notices on these boats. During the designated period, owners could request a hearing that would allow them to keep the boats and not have them removed. “However, if the owners do not respond to the notice, we will remove and destroy the vessels,” he said.

FWC has a program that provides grants to reimburse local governments for removing derelict vessels from public waters. The program is funded by an appropriation from the Florida Legislature. Moreover, FWC’s derelict vessel grant guidelines allow for the receipt of these grant applications on a continuing basis with no deadlines as long as funding is available. The FWC will pay 100% reimbursement to the grantee for all eligible vessels in the grant contract.