Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Just over 386 tons of sargassum has already been collected from Riviera Maya beaches this year. Irving Rafael Lili Madrigal, the Director of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (ZOFEMAT) of Solidaridad, says the sargassum was collected ahead of the peak season.
According to Lili Madrigal, 40 percent of what has already been collected was removed from Playa El Recodo in central Playa del Carmen. That beach, he said, is always the most affected by the arrival of sargassum.
With the arrival of tourists for the upcoming holidays, the municipality currently has 140 staff working on beach cleanup, a figure they are hoping to increase. He said they are strengthening alliances with the private sector to join forces in sargassum removal by working in a coordinated manner with specialized companies.
Lili Madrigal says the municipality is anticipating a meeting with the Navy to define sargassum barrier placements as well as the operation of their sargassum collection vessels, two things he referred to as “key tools” in the city’s sargassum strategy. Overall, the landing of sargassum on city beaches remains low.
Earlier this month, Governor Mara Lezama reported on the preparatory actions within the Strategy for Addressing Sargassum during the cycle which runs from April to October.
