Sargassum struggles in Mayaro/Rio Claro

People walk along the shore in Mayaro where large amounts of Sargassum have been washing ashore, leaving a smelly mess. File photo by Jeff Mayers
People walk along the shore in Mayaro where large amounts of Sargassum have been washing ashore, leaving a smelly mess. File photo by Jeff Mayers

MAYARO/RIO CLARO Regional Corporation CEO Ashmead Mohammed has asked for funds to deal with sargassum seaweed on beaches in the area, but none have been forthcoming.

He was speaking as officials of the corporation, the Princes Town Regional Corporation and the Local Government Ministry met with the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Local Authorities on Wednesday at the Parliament building.

JSC member Khadijah Ameen said along the east coast there is the challenge of sargassum and, with the corporation having a substantial portion of the coast, what role was it playing in trying to clear the beaches.

Mohammed said beaches and by extension the shoreline and coastline are the remit of the Tourism Ministry.

"However," he said, "we have this sargassum seaweed problem for a number of years."

He said the corporation has tried its best to address the sargassum "in-house" during peak periods when there are a number of tourists, both local and foreign, flocking to the beaches of Mayaro. These periods were Carnival, "summer vacation" and Easter.

He reported for the past Easter weekend workers were paid overtime to clear sargassum in high-traffic areas.

"But the problem with the seaweed is if you clear it ten o'clock in the morning, by two o'clock in the afternoon it is back there. (Because of) the volumes in the waters out there, no matter what you do it repeats itself (on the beach) in a couple of hours. So all we do is very cosmetic."

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"Sargassum struggles in Mayaro/Rio Claro"

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