'Bunch of bull.' Bridgeport fishermen reeling over continued closure of Pleasure Beach fishing pier
Multiple tick species were found on Bridgeport's Pleasure Beach, city officials say, including the invasive Asian long horned tick.
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A local beach will remain closed for the rest of the summer due to environmental concerns, but beachgoers aren't the only ones who are upset.
Multiple tick species were found on Bridgeport's Pleasure Beach, city officials say, including the invasive Asian long horned tick.
"It’s our job to protect the environment and also protect the visitors that go to that area," says Bret Caulfield superintendent of parks. "Unfortunately, this year, without that control, we don’t feel it’s safe to open it for now."
An increase in protected Audubon bird species nesting on the island also contributed to the closure, Caulfield says.
A popular fishing pier attached to Pleasure Beach will remain closed for the summer, too.
"I think it’s a bunch of bull," says fisherman Mark Hunter. "People feed their families from over there on that pier, man... now they’re taking it away."
The city says its working on treating the island to try and contain the ticks.
The Asian long horned tick can cause a disease known as HME. Health experts say it could lead to severe symptoms, like kidney failure.
For now, beachgoers and fisherman will have to find a different summer spot, like Seaside Park.
"That’s not right," Hunter says. "We’re all taxpayers around here."
