BUSINESSMEN OF THE RIVIERA MAYA AIM TO ATTEND TO MASSIVE SARGASSUM LANDFALLS

Quintana Roo, Mexico – Brown in color is the threat to the shores of the Quintana Roo sea, mainly to the north, where the large stain is invading the coast and captures the gaze of those who look at the horizon, the one that many times boasted its turquoise blue, its depth and passivity.

The discomfort of this algae, falls on the inhabitants, passers-by and businessmen, who suddenly notice a foul odor, due to the accumulation of the macroalgae; that is why the large economic groups are already pronouncing themselves in the face of this invasive problem.

From Mahahual, an emblematic place due to its beautiful reefs, businessmen are urging for the collection and management of sargassum to be attended to; Rodolfo Espadas Iste, vice-president of the Costa Maya Businessmen Association, has asked the government to decree a sanitary emergency for immediate attention, since the cruise ship arrival season is approaching and it is opportune to have this tourist spot in good conditions.

Unfortunately some visitors have had to shorten their vacations, as they flee from the odor that invades the Caribbean paradise, said Espadas Iste, who also pointed out the lack of municipal attention to place the anchors that would hold the anti-sargasso barriers. 

According to specialists, the sargassum should be contained before reaching the beaches, something that the Semarnat ships cannot do, and as it is pushed by the waves to the coasts, the human capacity set by the government is exceeded.

Artisanal barriers made of mesh border some areas, which when placed diagonally, seek to redirect the macroalgae to facilitate its collection. In recent days the authorities have been working on a manual of procedures to improve The Management of Sargassum, now it will be a challenge to put into action the knowledge that specialists have accumulated over a long period of study to obtain the best strategy.

The solutions point to having to learn to coexist with the seaweed, because it cannot be pulled out of the seas just like that, its presence has a reason for being within the ecosystem, it serves different marine species, as well as the very balance of the beaches, and it is the result of the Sea of Sargasso, that due to the changes that the planet has suffered lately, it washes up excessively on our coasts, and it is this last point that worries us and must make us act. Understanding it will lead us to know how to deal with it.

Translated by Miguel Sánchez