City Vows To Send In Cleanup Crews
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A real fish story has a Queens neighborhood talking for all the wrong reasons.NewsChannel 4's Andrew Siff reported that thousands of dead fish are washing up in Howard Beach, and residents said the smell is making them miserable.
"Unbelievable," said Howard Beach resident Bob Giallanzo. "There's thousands of fish that are dying, and nobody seems to care."
The dead Atlantic bunkerfish are a symptom of an epidemic in Howard Beach. City officials said the cause was a nationwide phenomenon caused by warm water without enough oxygen. New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation also said predatory bluefish and bass have been chasing the bunkerfish from Jamaica Bay into the narrow canal in Howard Beach, which has less oxygen.
State officials said, "Any impacts, such as smell, will be short-term. DEC does not remove fish believed dead from natural causes, as is the case here.
"The smell is unbearable," said Councilman Joseph Addabbo. "And for these residents, the basin should be a benefit, not a detriment."City officials have vowed to send in cleanup crews.
Lifelong canal resident Betty Braton of Community Board 10 in Queens said the problem has never been this bad.
"We're continuing every day to have fish floating up and down," she said. "We've been living with this smell for two weeks now."
