Scalloping season in the waters off Pasco County temporarily closed for the second year in a row due to a toxic algae bloom.
Scalloping charter captain Jason Cochran said this is hurting his business.
He said about half his customers come from out of state, and many are visiting for scalloping season.
“[Scalloping season] definitely brings back more business in the long run, too, when it comes to bringing in fishermen,” Cochran said. “Or maybe starting with scalloping and maybe venturing to fishing or vice versa."
The season was closed in the Pasco Zone on Wednesday after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission detected an organism that can produce neurotoxins.
If shellfish contaminated with the algae Pyrodinium bahamense are consumed, it can lead to Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, which can cause numbness, dizziness, nausea and respiratory distress.
The season opened in the Pasco Zone on July 10 and is scheduled to close Aug. 18.
FWC researcher Kate Hubbard said there is no estimate on when the season will reopen because the decision is based on when the level goes down. She did not know if the season would be extended, as it was last year.
However, the water is still safe to swim in.
People just cannot eat scallops because, as the scallops suck in the water, the toxin becomes more concentrated inside them.
Megan Moore is the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences agent for Pasco County.
The toxin released by the algae is also heat-resistant, Moore said.
“These toxins do not present themselves in any type of flavor or smell, so there's no way to know if they are present,” she said.
Moore suggested businesses that rely on scalloping tourism in the area travel to neighboring zones to keep things going.
"So if people want to scallop, they are allowed to take their boats up to those areas and collect scallops and then come back to Pasco County,” Moore said. “But currently, that is the only way they can scallop."
Florida's Sports Coast spokesperson Raul Nardi said most hotels have reported no cancellations. One hotel said they anticipate 10-15 cancellations in the next few weeks.
He added scallop season is one of the area's strongest tourism draws, but it is too soon to tell.
Cochran said he hopes people will still join his fishing charters and enjoy a nice day on the water.
He said charters like his rely on the scalloping season to attract clients. He’s not sure if the repeated closure of the Pasco Zone will affect future business.
“I think each year it's definitely going to leave a little lingering effect of ‘is it going to close soon or how long do we have?’” he said. “And I always urge people to go as early as they can in the season. But that's just hindsight. So it may, it may not. It's hard to say.”
Cochran said he is considering taking his charters further north or south to avoid the affected area if the toxic algae keeps cutting the season short.
