Sargassum Scare, Everyone’s Responsibility

Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Junior will be heading to Cancun, Mexico next week for a meeting with other CARICOM members to discuss the issue of sargassum. The regional meeting will look at a plan to address the problem, which researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico say 2020 is going to be the worse year yet as it relates to sargassum invasion along the coastline and beaches. A taskforce was established to work along with resorts that have been affected by this natural phenomenon. Earlier today, OCEANA’s Communications Director said that they are assisting where they can.

Alyssa Carnegie

Alyssa Carnegie, Communications Director, OCEANA Belize

“OCEANA is part of the Belize Network of N.G.O.s and the Belize Network of N.G.O.s was invited to participate in a formal taskforce that was put together for sargassum and it is absolutely providing feedback through that medium. At the same time, we get approached all the time for information, what are other countries doing, what’s the science behind it and how we can help. So we really try to help in that way. But it is definitely a huge situation and it really requires a multifaceted, a multisectoral response.”