U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) requested that the Small Business Administration (SBA) step in to provide federal aid to Florida businesses being slammed by the devastating red tide’s blow to local tourism.
“Gov. Rick Scott has formally requested a disaster declaration for our region, but as the co-chair of Florida’s congressional delegation and a senior member of Congress, I wanted to add my weight to the urgency of the matter,” Rep. Buchanan wrote in an Aug. 27 letter sent to SBA Administrator Linda McMahon.
An unusually persistent harmful algal bloom, known commonly as red tide, currently is affecting portions of the southwest coast of Florida, according to the National Ocean Service (NOS) in the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Karenia brevis red tides produce toxins that can kill fish, sea turtles, manatees and dolphins and cause respiratory irritation, the NOS said.
Calling it “one of the worst red tide blooms in history,” Rep. Buchanan urged the SBA to immediately issue a disaster declaration to aid local businesses in their recovery efforts from the “widespread economic devastation” resulting from the red tide’s impact on tourism.
The lawmaker on Aug. 24 met with business leaders in Sarasota, Manatee and Hillsborough counties, who asked for assistance in dealing with the crisis, according to his office.
“Disaster assistance loans provided by the SBA are critically important to help our local businesses recover from this devastating crisis,” he wrote to SBA’s McMahon.
Rep. Buchanan described the scene in his home state, writing that “the stench of dead fish littering our beaches and respiratory problems caused by the current outbreak have caused people to cancel or change travel plans.”
Lost revenue in August, he wrote, totals more than $1.4 million in Sarasota County, wrote the congressman, while a Visit Sarasota County survey showed that 75 percent of local hotels have experienced canceled reservations due to the current situation.
“I have heard about its damaging effects from local restaurant owners, some of which are reporting a 70 percent drop in business compared with the same time last year,” Rep. Buchanan added. “Retail shops and recreational businesses have also suffered losses.”
SBA loans would give these businesses another option “to survive the negative economic impact of red tide that has plagued our shores since last October,” he wrote.
Rep. Buchanan asked the SBA for “a prompt response on this critically important matter.”