The Sargassum Scourge Returns in San Pedro

As the Caribbean braces for another busy hurricane season, there’s something else we need to get ready for: the invasion of sargassum mats drifting in from the Atlantic Ocean. Early signs suggest that we’ll be seeing a lot of sargassum on our shores this year, with the first batch already making an appearance. News Five caught up with San Pedro Mayor, Wally Nunez, to find out how his council plans to tackle this unwelcome and costly problem.

 

Wally Nunez, Mayor, San Pedro

“We try to take it out from the ocean as soon as possible, because once it stays on the shoreline, it starts to decay, decompose, and then it’s, it smelts. But if you take it out from the water, it dries out with the sun and it doesn’t sink as much. What we do with the sargassum is we’re taking it to an area by San Pedrito, where we are filling up an area for recreational purpose. So that way we are showing that we are using sargassum for another purpose. Yes, it is landfill, but then we also put material on top of it so that it doesn’t smell and it settles. We have filled an area where you can see kids using it as a little park to play football. So we want to increase on that and expand on that area so that it turns like into an entire recreational area for something different for the entire town. But our main issue is not what we do with the sargassum afterwards. Our issue is taking it out from the water in the quantities that are coming in. It’s very difficult. Luckily, we have some resorts that are doing their part. B.T.B. is also helping us financially to be able to put more manpower out there to assist in the cleanup. However, it is mother nature and it’s difficult to keep up.”