What are the economic impacts of red tides and other harmful algae blooms?

Question: What are the economic impacts of red tides and other harmful algae blooms?

Answer: Red tides and other harmful algae blooms have serious economic impacts as well as health impacts. Coastal communities that rely heavily on tourism often lose millions of dollars when dead fish wash up on beaches, tourists fall ill, or shellfish warnings are issued because of red tides or other harmful algae blooms.

Commercial fishing and shellfish businesses also lose income when shellfish beds are closed or harmful algae toxins are contaminating the fish they normally catch. Charter boat operators are also affected, receiving numerous cancellations even when the waters they typically fish are not affected by the harmful algae bloom.

Likewise, tourism, recreation, and other businesses may be adversely affected even though they are not located precisely in the area where a harmful algae bloom occurs, because many people grow very cautious when a bloom is reported, even though most water activities are safe during red tides and other harmful algae blooms.

Calculating the actual economic cost of red tides and other harmful algae blooms is difficult, and not many figures exist. One study of three harmful algae blooms that took place in the 1970s and 1980s estimated losses of $15 million to $25 million for each of the three red tides. Given the inflation that has occurred in the decades since, the cost in today’s dollars would be significantly higher.

Red Tides FAQ Index:

• What are red tides and other harmful algae blooms?

• What causes red tides and other harmful algae blooms?

• How do red tides and other harmful algae blooms affect fish and shellfish?

• How do red tides and other harmful algae blooms affect birds and marine mammals?

• How do red tides and other harmful algae blooms affect human health?

• What are the economic impacts of red tides and other harmful algae blooms?