Tulum, Q.R. — Albeit late, the government of Quintana Roo has finally installed anti-sargassum barriers in the municipality of Tulum. In a press release, Governor Carlos Joaquin reported the installation was part of their ongoing battle against the arrival of the seaweed.
He said that last week, 600 meters of barriers were install off the coast of Tulum out of a total of 2,350 meters planned. The installation came days after the official start to the summer vacation period for which government authorities have repeatedly reported a near sold out Cancun-Riviera Maya.
Joaquin said the additional barriers will be installed over the next eight to 10 days, weather depending. A sargassum vessel has also been added to the cleanup mix to help keep municipal beaches clear by preventing the seaweed from reaching shore.
Joaquin reported that the Secretary of the Navy recently acquired eight amphibious bands that will be installed in places where sargassum stagnates and accumulates. The bands will be used for immediate collection, which will prevent it from decomposing on the beaches and leaching into the environment.
Of these amphibious bands, two have been assigned to Cancun, two to Playa del Carmen, two to Cozumel and another two to Mahahual.
Admiral Alejandro López Zenteno, who in recent years was in charge of the strategy for the Secretary of the Navy, announced that the current climatic conditions have created a decrease in sargassum reaching state beaches, which remain clean.
