Sargassum Crisis: Help is on the Way

Manuel Heredia Jr.

Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia Jr., explains how the earmarked funds will be used across the affected areas.  He says that berms will be placed at specific locations to mitigate the inflows of sargassum.

Reporter

“Could you tell us some of the ways in which this one point five million [dollars] will be used to help to alleviate the situation?”

Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism

“The one point five million dollars which is government’s contribution, that will be used in public areas, areas where there are no hotels, but it’s like in front of the parks in San Pedro, in Hopkins.  In front of other public places like that, likewise in Placencia.  So those one point five will be used to assist these municipalities and villages to be able to clean, to contract trucks that will be able to move the sargassum from the beach up to a destination that will be assigned and likewise in the municipality.  So the one point five [million dollars] will be used exclusively for this for this part, if we need to put any berms also, berms that are used.  Those monies will go also towards getting the berms and setting it up in front of these public areas.”

Karen Bevans

Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism

“So the one point five million in particular will be used to assist the four affected destinations, to help to clean up, to dispose of the sargassum and to install barriers or berms for the containment of the sargassum.”