Puerto Morelos, Q.R. — The municipal government of Puerto Morelos has begun the placement of sargasso barriers along public beach areas in an attempt to keep the unwanted seaweed from reaching shore.
City council is hoping that the barriers, which are being strategically placed in known arrival points, will help reduce the accumulation of sargasso and function as a stop strategy.
Municipal president Laura Fernández Piña says that they began the placements over the weekend, which includes installing and anchoring 2,200 linear meters of the marine barriers along nearly two kilometers of public beaches that are under the municipal government, including Ventana al Mar.
“This mechanism will serve to contain and direct the sargassum to collection points that will be used for that purpose and will prevent accumulation in the areas that are occupied as spas in addition to allowing a faster and more effective collection,” she explained.
She says that the president of the National Conference of Municipalities of Mexico reported several hotel groups in the municipality have already installed barriers, while others are in the process of installation.
The use of these barriers, she explained, is part of the agreements and proposals derived from the Puerto Morelos Protocol since the barriers have yielded very positive results along the beaches.
“The exponential arrival of sargassum has environmental effects and effects in the tourism industry, so we will not lower our guard and will include new strategies that are effective, always protecting the natural resources,” she said.
