Long Branch To Begin Dead Fish Cleanup On Monday

LONG BRANCH—With more and more complaints about the growing number of dead fish showing up on Manhasset and Branchport Creek banks in north Long Branch, local officials are working with the state to get ahead of the situation.

According to city spokeswoman Lindsay DeAngelis, the city of Long Branch has already begun making plans to begin cleanup.

"While we are continuing our conversations with the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), the City of Long Branch has decided to move forward with an environmental contractor, who will address the most problematic areas of our waterways and banks, beginning Monday, May 10,” DeAngelis said.

“The company will be collecting the fish using specialized boats and vacuum equipment and will access fish on the riverbanks from both the ground and the water. We are looking forward to the relief this operation will provide our residents."

Over the past month or so, tens of thousands of Atlantic menhaden, commonly known as bunker fish, have been showing up dead on the banks of the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers and now are washing up along the shores of the tributaries. Homeowners are dealing with a putrid smell that won’t go away.

The reason for the mass death of the bunker fish, according to state environmental officials, is due to "undetermined species of bacteria."

State Senator Vin Gopal (D-11) visited the area on Friday with Long Branch Mayor John Pallone and Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), tweeting that they will make sure that the Department of Environmental Protection will be directly involved.