Mexico Combating Seaweed Issues Along Caribbean Coast

Update: August 20, 2018 at 11:10 a.m. ET

After placing the first sargassum containment barriers along Mexico’s Caribbean coast last week, officials said the sea fences are already stopping the seaweed from reaching popular resort beach areas.

According to Riviera Maya News, State Tourism Secretary Marisol Vanegas said there hasn’t been much sargassum trapped near Cancun, but the barriers proved they can withstand the waves and are ready for larger deposits of the seaweed.

Vanegas revealed that all the beaches along Quintana Roo will be free of sargassum within 45 days, thanks to the work of the barriers and employees of hotels and government agencies who are clearing existing piles of the seaweed.

What do travel agents and travelers with their eyes on #Mexico need to know about sargassum? Travel expert @murphytravels is here to explain why it shouldn't affect your trip. #travel #traveltips #Caribbean @WeVisitMexico @VisitCozumel @RivieraMaya @CancunCVB pic.twitter.com/yq0aw7YJJp

— TravelPulse (@TravelPulse) August 20, 2018

Original Text

In an effort to combat the spread of seaweed along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, environmental officials have started placing barriers in the water between Cancun and Chetumal.

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According to the Riviera Maya News, Quintana Roo Secretary of Ecology and Environment Alfredo Arellano Guillermo said the government is working with Goimar Logistics and Services to place the barriers along the coast in order to minimize the impact of the sargassum deposits.

Sargassum is a brown seaweed that forms in the open ocean and has started to bloom near many Caribbean destinations over the last several years. While not harmful to humans, tourism officials and environmentalists are working to keep the sargassum away from popular beaches in an effective manner.

Part of the plan to keep the seaweed deposits from reaching the shoreline is the installation of containment barriers. The project will call on Goimar Logistics to install almost 17 miles of non-polluting barriers between Cancun and Chetumal Bay.

The containment barriers will be resistant to waves and anchored to the seabed, with the intention of redirecting the sargassum away from the coast. When fully installed, the barriers will keep the seaweed from reaching the beaches where some travelers have complained about deposits in the past.

The Mexico Tourism Board released a statement to TravelPulse on the spread of Sargasso at some popular tourist destinations along the Caribbean coast:

As a result of the naturally-occurring seaweed sargassum arriving in Quintana Roo, increased cleanup measures were immediately implemented across the state to ensure visitor satisfaction. The Secretary immediately traveled to the region to work with local officials and tour operators to discuss the environmental occurrence. We are actively cleaning up the seaweed from the beaches and will continue to monitor developments.

Tourists and industry partners should know that the seaweed poses no immediate threat to health and safety. Mexico has a proven track record of safety and positive visitor experience, as it has climbed from the 15th most visited country in the world in 2012 to eighth most visited country in the world in 2017, as measured by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. In 2017, Mexico welcomed more than 39.3 million international tourists, an increase of more than 12 percent versus 2016, and 20 million of those travelers came from the U.S.