Red tide made tough times tougher

Rows of boats hung from slings around the covered docks of the south marina in Port Mansfield, dry-docked until the March fishing surge.

Fishermen address maintenance issues during February, said Walt Kittleberger, the president and founder of the Port Mansfield Fishing Guide Association.

"March is when the big-time fishermen start coming back," he said.

Fishing guides say warm weather and prime fishing in the Laguna Madre have made Port Mansfield a haven for fishermen across Texas and from its neighboring states, especially in the fall and spring seasons.

But the red tide that ripped down the Texas shoreline caused many fishermen to cancel their fall fishing trips, cutting their prime season in half, local guides said.

So the disappointments of fall have left many of the 38 fishing guides listed on the local chamber of commerce’s Web site and other local businesses dependent on a fish-driven tourism industry.

Red tide is a toxic algae that is always present in the Gulf of Mexico waters, but periodically reproduces in dense concentrations, according to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife Web site.

When that happens, it can kill fish, turn the water a reddish color and create unpleasant air conditions that can be dangerous for persons with asthma and for the elderly.

Port Mansfield breathes from its fishing industry. A 2005 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report lists the Willacy County town of fewer than 500 residents as one of the state’s cities dependent on the fishing industry.

"If you don’t like fishing, then you probably won’t last in Port Mansfield," Kittleberger said.

The local hotel industry was having a breakout year in 2009 before the red tide, posting increases in hotel receipts in the first three fiscal quarters, according to the Texas Comptroller’s reports.

Port Mansfield had a 36 percent, or $336,882, increase in hotel receipts during the first three-quarters of 2009 compared to 2008, reports state.

As a result of an about 50 percent increase in hotel capacity, the 2009 hotel receipts from the first three quarters were also up from 2007 by 6 percent or $72,159, reports state.

As for the fourth quarter hotel receipts, Port Mansfield saw a 4.7 percent decrease, $7,996, in 2007 compared to 2009 and 4.1 percent decrease, $6,936, compared to 2008.

The effects of red tide on Port Mansfield’s fish

The reality of red tide, as opposed to the perception, should favor Port Mansfield’s local business, marine experts said.

"At (red tide’s) peak, you could certainly go find some out there," Kittleberger said. "But Port Mansfield is a much broader expanse of water than Port Isabel and South Padre (Island). All we had to do to avoid it was go out into the bay and turn left."

At red tide’s peak, fishing guides reported good fish counts, Kittleberger said.

Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico was never affected because guides could ride past the red tide, they said.

Despite the toxicity of red tide, the fish were still edible, marine experts said.

"No one has ever gotten sick from eating fish in the red tide," Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Red Tide Biologist Meredith Byrd.

The menacing algae wreaked havoc on the bait fish population, Byrd said. Some red fish, speckled trout and snook were found dead on the area beaches, but their populations should bounce back next month.

So with red tide’s minimal effects on fish kills, the issue for Port Mansfield was public relations. State and national reports lumped the entire Texas coast from Corpus Christi down to South Padre Island as being equal when it comes to the red tide.

"There are lots of different systems in the bay here," Kittleberger said. "None are the same."

TPWD has not released the final fish kill numbers from this year’s red tide, but Bryd said she expects the number to be significantly less than severe red tides in the ‘90s.

Southern Laguna Madre cities smashed by red tide

The red tide left its mark on Port Mansfield due to the town’s dependency on fishing, but the larger Port Isabel and South Padre Island cities battled a denser red tide and felt a bigger financial impact.

South Padre Island was on its way to a record year in 2008 when Hurricane Dolly hit, comptroller records show. But a series of uncontrollable circumstances, including the declining economy and red tide, led to significant decreases in sales tax allocations and hotel receipts during the fourth quarter of 2009.

"I think the red tide was devastating to the economy," Capt. Cliff Fleming, owner of the Puro Chile Sport Fishing boat on the Island, said. "From the restaurants to the hotels, it was here. It was clear every day. I had asthma for two months and it was not fun."

By the Numbers

Fourth Quarter Hotel Receipts 2009/2008/2007*

Port Mansfield

$163,340/$170,276/$171,337

South Padre Island

$6.6 million/$6.5 million/$8.9 million

Port Isabel

$131,429/$224,933/$191,448

First Three Quarters 2009/2008/2007

Port Mansfield

$1.3 million/$935,439/$1.2 million

South Padre Island

$65.2 million/$64.4 million/$77.4 million

Port Isabel

$1.3 million/$1.3 million/$1.7 million

2009/10 Sales Tax Allocations Compared to Previous Year February/January/December**

Port Isabel

-$44,414 (-22 percent)/–21,316 (-16 percent)/-$36,261 (-32 percent)

South Padre Island

-$71,056 (-35 percent)/–$82,450 (-44 percent)/-$96,033 (-44 percent)

* Hurricane Dolly struck in July 2008, effecting local economies in the fourth fiscal quarter. South Padre Island lost two full service hotels from the storm. Port Mansfield had an about 50 percent increase in hotel capacity between 2007 and 2008.

**Port Mansfield does not have a sales tax. Figures are for the previous month’s sales.

Source: Texas Comptroller’s Office