Cayman Islands Begins Initiative to Rid Beaches of Sargassum Seaweed
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands – Premier Wayne Panton has announced the allocation of resources to rid beaches of the invasive sargassum seaweed and to reduce the impact it is having on marine life and businesses operating in and around the area.
The Premier, who said there is no easy way to address the problem, noted that in the past the attempts have been made to deal with the seaweed but this time, a different approach to the clean-up is needed, as the thick bed of seaweed is stuck in the water, among the mangroves and on the ironshore.
He said that Government has signed a contract with a local private company and work started on Friday.
The aim is to pump as much of the sargassum out of the sea as possible, pushing the seawater that comes with it back and taking the seaweed to a disposal site.
The Premier also revealed that the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency are now leading the response efforts, and they will also be developing a specific set of policies and plans to address the anticipated scenarios in relation to the ongoing sargassum problem.
In a press release issued Friday, the Director of the Department of Energy, Gina Ebanks-Petrie said the trial would determine the feasibility of the strategy, given the volume of sargassum.
“There are a number of environmental, public health and economic consequences of large-scale sargassum landings and the ongoing impacts on nearby residents, businesses and the marine environment require an appropriate response,” she said. “The DoE has contracted with a local service provider to trial removal of the sargassum from the water utilizing a pumping system. This will determine whether the volumes that can be removed using this methodology are sufficient to make a meaningful difference.”
When sargassum washes up on local beaches, the Environmental Department recommends leaving the seaweed on the beach to decompose, as this is usually the simplest option. Over time, the seaweed is washed away or buried by wave action, nourishing the beach and stabilizing the shoreline without the risk of sand removal associated with beach grooming. In the North Sound, however, the seaweed is decomposing in the water, where it can reduce oxygen levels and light penetration, with the potential to negatively affect marine life.
“During seasons of particularly bad influxes, the Cayman Islands Government recognizes the need for intervention, including the use of suitable equipment,” Ebanks-Petrie said. “During turtle nesting season, which we are in right now, our main concern is ensuring any turtle nests on beaches that need to be cleaned by equipment rather than by hand can be done safely and that we do not end up removing more beach than sargassum.”
A combination of interrelated factors, including prevailing winds and oceanic currents, contribute to whether floating sargassum lands on local shores or passes by the Cayman Islands, making it difficult to predict stranding events before they occur.
“The Department of Environment has access to a predictive sargassum model, which alerted us to the fact that it would be a record year for sargassum in the Caribbean region. We are investigating the possibility of satellite tracking that will hopefully get us a bit closer to predicting the likelihood and location of large sargassum strandings,” Ebanks-Petrie said.
