Tulum, Q.R. — Tulum Zofemat personnel are dealing with 30 to 35 percent more sargassum this year than last. A crew spent the day forking washed up sargassum from municipal beach areas into trucks that hauled it away.
Heavy machinery was also used in the manual cleaning of the municipal beach areas. Juan Antonio Garza, the Director of the Federal Maritime Zone (Zofemat) for Tulum reported that as per the instructions of Mayor Diego Castañón Trejo, the municipal government is collaborating closely with the federation, Marina and the state government in the fight against sargassum.
According to Antonio Garza, Zofemat (Zona Federal Marítima) personnel have already collect between 30 and 35 percent more sargassum this year than during the same period last year.
“We are experiencing a higher arrival amount than last year, but it is not as critical as what we experienced in 2022 and 2023. We are addressing the problem daily from the shore with our personnel, using the manual collection techniques we have always employed,” Varsa stated.
He also mentioned that a light tractor with a sweeper is also part of the daily tools used to facilitate the cleanup work.
“We have recently incorporated ATVs with mini-containers which allows us to move more efficiently throughout the federal zone,” he said. Antonio Garza says that in coming days, Marina personnel will be with the installation of anti-sargassum barriers off the municipal coast. He says once they are in place, they are hoping for less sargassum landfall.
The Tulum Zofemat head says sargassum is removed from beaches on a daily basis and trucked to a final disposal site where it is spread out to dry in the sun. Once dry, the sand is removed. He says the process will continue to keep Tulum beaches in optimal condition.
“In collaboration with the Federation, the Navy, and the state government, we are strengthening our efforts to combat the arrival of sargassum. With the implementation of sargassum barriers, manual collection techniques, and the use of specialized machinery such as sweepers and ATVs with mini-containers, we are working daily to keep the beaches clean. We continue to take care of our Tulum.” Ayuntamiento De Tulum said Thursday.
