Mahahual, Q.R. — More than a kilometer of mesh was installed off the coast of Mahahual Tuesday. The anti-sargassum barrier was finally finished after seabed anchors were placed the week before.
Authorities from the 11th Naval Zone reported that members of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) have finished the installation of anti-sargassum barriers off the coast of Mahahual. Marina personnel installed a total of 1.5 kilometers of mesh. They also have vessels in operation to collect the macroalgae at sea.
According to Commander Marco Antonio Muñoz, the installation of the anti-sargassum barrier is expected to maintain the coast and help reduce the amount of sargassum making landfall. He says nine vessels capable of collecting up to four tons of sargassum a day are also in operation off Mahahual beaches.
Muñoz explained that these are specialized vessels that have suction systems to facilitate the collection of sargassum. These vessels are being used since they expect the arrival of sargassum to increase in coming months.
He says it is necessary to have efficient equipment so that the sargassum does not affect Mahahual since it is one of the destinations that depends most on tourism.
This year, the arrival of sargassum began earlier than expected. The amount of sargassum hitting Mahahual shores is also being considered “above average” when compared to previous years.
