The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, assured that the government, the private sector and universities do their best to minimize the impact of sargassum on the coasts of the Dominican Republic.
“We are working intensively to find a short, medium and long term solution to this problem that affects the beaches, and not only in the Dominican Republic,” he said at the end of a cabinet meeting to combat sargasso.
Collado explained that they are working on a strategy for environmental engineers and other institutions to present a concrete plan to the country.
He also reported that he would provide $1 million to the country’s universities to strengthen sargassum research.
The minister said he would inform the public about this soon the measures that will be taken in the short term.
Meanwhile, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources and Coordinator of the Cabinet, Miguel Ceara Hatton, said that a team has been formed that will monitor the sargassum problem day by day and report to the Cabinet on how it will achieve medium-term results and look for solutions.
During the meeting, members of the Cabinet made proposals and discussed the progress and research results they have made in combating the sargassum problem in countries in the region.
David Llibre, president of the Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores), attended the meeting, and a representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was also present.
The government to combat Sargassum is working on a short-term strategy to respond to the threat of this seaweed on the beaches of the Dominican Republic in the months of March and April.
This cabinet was created by decree last August to propose and coordinate the implementation of government policies aimed at reversing the effects of this seaweed that plagues the beaches and coasts of the Greater Caribbean.
Sargassum forecast for 2024
The University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab reports a significant increase in sargassum blooms, which will reach record levels by 2024. With a million tons in November and as much as five million tons in December in the central Atlantic, experts predict another big sargassum year. Over the past decade there has been a notable increase in both the size and damage caused by these blooms; last year 13 million tons were reported.
Although the Caribbean Sea currently contains a relatively small amount, scientists expect its spread to potentially impact Florida and the Gulf of Mexico in the coming months. The Florida Department of Health warns beachgoers to avoid contact with sargassum due to its potential to cause skin irritation from jellyfish larvae and recommends precautions such as closing windows and wearing gloves when handling the seaweed to avoid respiratory problems and unpleasant odors.
