More manpower coming to clean up Sargassum

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey says more people will be employed to remove the problematic sargassum seaweed from beaches across the island this year.

He said the additional manpower will be part of his ministry’s approach to the problem over the next four to five months.

“I think it makes sense that the personnel would come from the areas that are affected. So, personnel from St Lucy for River Bay in St Lucy, and for Green Pond, personnel from St Andrew. That is what we are going to be working on but this is going to be a constant conversation now for the next few months,” Humphrey said.

He told Barbados TODAY on Monday at the Morgan Lewis Beach, St Andrew, where authorities are investigating a fish kill in the nearby Green Pond that has been invaded by the seaweed, that even with the best response it will be difficult to keep the unsightly nuisance away completely.

“Seaweed comes every single day, and it is coming so heavily that the inundation is going to mean that there are going to be some days that the seaweed is going to be on the beaches. Our response has to be, as I said, to prioritize the beaches that we are going to clear first and give the public reasons why. That is written in the Sargassum Management Plan,” Humphrey explained.

The Minister said the only solution the country has to manage the issue is to wait for the seaweed to come ashore to manually remove it.

Meantime, Humphrey praised Steven Smith from the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Barbados for alerting authorities after he discovered the fish kill on Sunday, and appealed to others to do the same if they see any unusual or alarming situations on the beach.

“I am also asking for some Barbadians, if they want to, to take some of the sargassum seaweed as well and allow us to make the best use of the circumstances,” he added.
(AH)