Mahahual, Q.R. — The seaside community of Mahahual is in its beginning stages of sargassum sea barrier installment.
Alondra Martínez Flores, director of Municipal Ecology, said that the work has begun and that they are hoping to soon be able to control the arrival of sargassum in the area. She explained that after the bidding process, placement has finally begun which will see 1,100 linear meters added along Mahahual and 652 linear meters installed along the coast of Xcalak.
“Yes, the company has already finalized and delivered the required documentation and agreement on the forms of payment, so the installation work for the anti-saggassum barrier anchors began as a first stage in Mahahual and then will continue at Xcalak.
“The arrival of the seaweed began in March and is expected to continue until August or September. Although there is sargassum, the beaches look very clean and we hope that the SEMAR forecasts that this year will be less than the last year is fulfilled, since now in May the arrival has been very little.”
The first stage, she says, includes the installation of 42 seabed anchors that will hold the 1,100 linear meters of floating barrier in place.
“The installation will be by sectors. The first will be 750 meters and will join the artisanal, the second will arrive at the Pescadores dock, the third will add 350 meters that will also be tied with the barriers and finally they will proceed with the placement of 652 meters in the area known as El Quebrado.
Last month, locals installed their own artisanal barriers while they waited for the official sea barriers to be installed. Flores says the cost of the official barrier installation will be around 1.6 million peso.
