Manatee cleans 10 tons of dead fish off area beaches, Sarasota cleanups begin

Manatee County has tried to stay ahead of red tide by cleaning dead fish off local beaches daily, including 10 tons this week that officials hope went unnoticed by beachgoers.

The approach stands in stark contrast to Sarasota County, which had remained hesitant to clean up the rotting dead marine life that has washed ashore, pushing foul odors Wednesday morning to areas miles east of the coastline.

That could soon change. Nicole Rissler, Sarasota County's parks director, told the Herald-Tribune on Wednesday that the county will begin fish cleanups at all beaches.

The decision comes after Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes presented an update on the county's red tide response to elected officials Tuesday during a Council of Governments meeting. He said Manatee's aggressive approach to cleaning has been successful.