17 tons of dead fish cleared from beaches due to red tide
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — One Florida county has dumped more than 17 tons of dead fish collected since Red Tide algae crept up from South Florida into Tampa Bay.
Fish are dying off at such a rate that officials are seeking more commercial vessels to keep sifting dead sea life from the Gulf of Mexico and hauling it to a landfill.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that's at least partly because the county has been paying boat captains to capture the dead fish before they reach the shoreline.