After fish kill, Miami-Dade has a new Biscayne advocate: a ‘chief bay officer’

Irela Bagué, who headed a task force that laid out steps needed to restore the health of Biscayne Bay, will serve as Miami-Dade’s first “chief bay officer” under Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Levine Cava announced the appointment Friday night. The position was created under the administration of Mayor Carlos Gimenez, after fish kills in the northern bay sparked broader alarm about pollution issues environmentalists have been warning about for years.

A release announcing the position described it as an advisory post and one that will serve as a go-between for the various agencies charged with protecting water quality and regulating activity around the bay, both at the county level and with the state and federal government. The compensation is $140,000 a year, the mayor’s office said.

Bagué owns a public-affairs consulting firm, the Bagué Group, that specializes in environmental issues.

“As a longtime advocate of Biscayne Bay restoration and water resources, it is an absolute honor to serve as MiamiDade County’s first Chief Bay Officer ... to help chart a longterm course for a resilient and healthy Bay,” Bagué said in a statement.

Creation of the bay officer post was one of the recommendations from the Biscayne Bay task force, which released its report before the August fish kill.

In the release, Levine Cava said Bagué “brings deep subject matter expertise and an outstanding career as an advocate and communicator to this critical role helping move forward policies to preserve and protect the Bay.”