Mahahual, Q.R. — Sargasso continues to hit the southern region of the state more so than the north, creating volunteer work brigades along Mahahual beaches.
Regional government workers were among those participating in a recent beach clean that was organized by La Oficialía Mayor de Gobierno for a program called Unidos por Quintana Roo.
During the latest clean, more than three tons of the seaweed was scooped up and hauled away from Mahahual beaches.
Brigadistas were coordinated by Senior Officer Manuel Alamilla Ceballos who left Chetumal to help clean the Mahahual beaches after a call for help was made to Governor Carlos Joaquin.
Public servants from Eva Sámano de Lopez Mateos, the Secretariat of Agricultural Development, Secretariat of Economic Development and their own government office set out to remove the three tons of seaweed.
The area along the coasts of Xcalak and Mahahual continue to get hit hard, more so than other beach areas in the north such as Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen.
Governor Carlos Joaquín said “Volunteer programs were established, municipal committees from 6 municipalities as well as a technical advisory council and the business sector set out to combat the atypical arrival of sargasso and defend the thousands of jobs of the people who depend on tourism.”
From June to December of 2018, a total of 250,000 cubic meters of sargasso was removed from the beaches of seven municipalities in the state. It continues to be an ongoing challenge for both local businesses and government officials that say they are working on finding a solution.