A cluster of dead bunker in the borough marina at Marine Park earlier this month. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Clean Ocean Action and local officials, including Red Bank’s, will get the virtual town hall with New Jersey environmental officials they’ve been seeking to address the recent “severe” fish kill in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, the organization announced Friday.
From the announcement:
A virtual public forum will be held on Thursday, May 27, to discuss the large-scale fish die-off that occurred in recent months in the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers (known as the Two Rivers Area). Officials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Oceanport Mayor John “Jay” Coffey II will be participating in the bi-monthly Rally for the Two River meeting hosted by Clean Ocean Action (COA). Panelists will discuss what caused the die-off, public and environmental health risks, the removal of the fish, and future plans should the event occur again.
“Reluctantly, many of us witnessed with our eyes and noses the hundreds of thousands of dead Atlantic menhaden or ‘bunker’ that washed-up on shorelines and accumulated in floating masses in creeks and rivers,” said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action. “We received many calls and photos from concerned citizens with questions including, ‘Is it safe to swim, kayak, fish or crab and eat them? What do we do with all these dead fish? This virtual meeting is an opportunity for people to hear the facts and get their questions answered,” she added.
Because of pandemic restrictions, the session will be conducted via the Zoom platform. Pre-registration is required at www.CleanOceanAction.org; the link to join the Zoom webinar will only be sent to those who pre-register.
Questions can be submitted at the time of registration. For more information, go to CleanOceanAction.org or 732-872-0111.
If you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen, please become a paying member. Click here for details about our new, free newsletter and membership information.
