Additional Barriers Added to Aid in Keeping Sargassum Away

In a continuing effort to keep sargassum from hitting land, an additional 27-kilometers of the seaweed barriers have been placed along the beaches in Playa del Carmen.

Comercializadora Chaktumen of Quintana Roo, the company installing the barriers, completed the task on Thursday. The extra containment barriers won’t be placed in just one location, but added in sections of 500 or 1,000 meters in front of the most affected beaches during sargassum season.

According to the Riviera Maya News, the municipalities of Cancun, Mahahual, Puerto Morelos and Tulum, along with the old town of Playa del Carmen to the south of Punta Venado, are all considered high-priority locations for the barriers to be placed.

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“We do not know the volumes nor the exact sites to which the marine vegetation will arrive, but the objective is to guarantee that the beaches are clean and available for tourism and that the balance of the environment is also ensured,” said Alfredo Arellano, Secretary of Ecology and Environment of Quintana Roo.

Arellano also added that even with the additional barriers in place, regular maintenance and cleaning will still need to be done to ensure the beaches are sargassum free. Vehicles equipped with vacuum suction will be brought in to remove piled seaweed already on land.

With these extra barriers added, those already hard at work clearing the seaweed and the two sargassum boats the US sent over to help with cleaning efforts, there’s no reason tourists should let sargassum deter them from these popular Mexican Caribbean destinations.