Cancun, Q.R. — More than 500 people lined Cancun beaches for the mass removal of accumulated sargassum on Saturday. Weekend winds associated with thunderstorm activity pushed the seaweed onto city shores the day before.
Cancun Mayor Ana Paty Peralta participated in the mass cleanup which she reported started at 7:00 a.m. Saturday.
“Starting at 7:00 a.m., volunteers with pitchforks, wheelbarrows and other hand tools, as well as heavy machinery, spread out along the first coastline of this sandy area to harvest this seaweed,” she said.
Mayor Peralta said the seaweed challenge is being addressed because it significantly impacts biodiversity, tourism, fishing and the quality of life of Cancun residents.
She also reaffirmed that with this strategy aligned with Governor Mara Lezama’s environmental policy and the collaboration of all sectors, efforts will continue to mitigate the effects of this natural phenomenon.
Justo Román Miranda Rocha, the Director of the Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat) Cancun, stated that cleanup efforts are undertaken daily on public beaches by 290 employees from Zofemat and Public Services, however, personnel from other municipal agencies are also involved in these types specially organized mass cleanup sessions.
Mayor Peralta said the goal is to continue promoting the culture of environmental care and maintaining the beauty of Cancun’s public beaches, which are recognized worldwide.
