Cancun, Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico reports that since May, more than 83,000 tons of sargassum seaweed has been removed from Playa del Carmen, Cancun and Riviera Maya beaches.
La Secretaría de Marina-Armada de México (Semar) says that over the past five months, they have removed 83,507 tons of sargassum from beaches and from in the sea in the coastal municipalities of the state. The announcement comes on the heels of the release of official sargassum seaweed boats that will be shipped to the region later this month.
According to a statement from Semar, Arm Fluitans, the first of four sargassum seaweed boats being constructed in the Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz shipyard, is more than 60 percent complete and is expected to reach the Riviera Maya region by October 31.
The navy reports the other three sargassum seaweed collection vessels, the Hystrix, Cymosum and Vulgare, are in different degrees of assembly and will also be delivered to the region upon completion.
They say that in addition to the sargassum vessels, several beach sweepers and more than 4,200 linear meters of sea-placed seaweed barriers will be added to continue to ensure sargassum seaweed-free beaches as part of their Operation Sargasso 2019 project.
