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Hillsborough County releases red tide cleanup guidelines for residents

By FOX 13 news staff
Published  July 20, 2021 5:32am EDT
Red Tide
FOX 13 News

Tampa Bay seagrass suffering under red tide

As the race to remove hundreds of tons of dead fish from Tampa Bay continues, there is rising concern about the health of seagrass as red tide devastates the waterway.

TAMPA, Fla. - For Hillsborough County residents cleaning up dead fish on their property, officials offered options to help accelerate the process.

County officials said residents should always double-bag any dead fish they collect on their private property. It can be stored in a county waste can and will be removed during normal trash days. Additional red tide information can be found on Hillsborough County’s website. 

However, if that is not an option – and you don’t want to be near the smell – the county also has four collection sites:

  • 504 Elsberry Road, Apollo Beach (next to the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center off Dickman Road), 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily
  • Apollo Beach Nature Preserve, 6760 Surfside Blvd., Apollo Beach, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
  • E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, 2401 19th Ave. NW, Ruskin, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
  • South County Community Collection Center at 13000 U.S. 41, Gibsonton, (enter from Powell Road) 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

READ: Seagrass suffers as red tide kills fish faster than crews can remove them

As of Monday, about 4,500 pounds of dead fish have been collected so far within the county.