Sargassum cleanup begins at Delaford Bay

The Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment has begun removing sargassum from Delaford Bay in east Tobago.

Despite covid19 restrictions, members of the division's sargassum management committee visited the area on Monday all geared up to assist in removing the unsightly seaweed from the beach.

Video footage of an excavator clearing the beach of the sargassum was posted on social media.

Large masses of sargassum began arriving unwelcomed last week.

Sargassum has also washed up along the beaches at Hope, Belle Garden, Lambeau and Castara within the past week.

However, the division did not say if similar clean-up exercises will be carried out in those villages.

Kemba Atkins, the division's senior corporate communications officer, told Newsday Tobago the clean-up exercise at Delaford included clearing a path for the fishermen to return to the sea.

She said the exercise is expected to last ten days, during which the sargassum heaped aside will be transferred to an "appropriate location."

By news time on Tuesday. Atkins said most of the seaweed was out of the water and stockpiled.

"We will start moving the material from the beach on Thursday. For now, we are allowing it to dry out."

Atkins said the sargassum was expected to be carried to two pick-up locations along the beach.

The division's action came two days after members of the All Trinidad Fisherfolk Association appealed to the Tobago House of Assembly for help in ridding villages of the seaweed.

They complained the seaweed posed an immediate threat to their livelihood and coupled witeh covid19 pandemic, was costing them close to $10,000 a month.