San Pedro, Ambergris Caye – A growing surge of Sargassum seaweed has once again begun washing up on the shores of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and various other beaches across Belize, prompting swift action from local authorities and environmental agencies.
In response, two specialized Sargassum skimmers have been officially deployed as part of a national Sargassum Relief Project, a collaborative initiative spearheaded by the Hol Chan Marine Reserve in partnership with Area Representative Honourable Andre Perez. The project aims to reduce the amount of Sargassum reaching Belize’s coastline by capturing it at sea.
These boat-like skimmers—also referred to as harvesting machines—are engineered to collect Sargassum directly from the water before it lands on the beaches, where it often creates environmental, health, and tourism-related challenges.
“Today marks a big step forward in how we respond to the annual Sargassum problem,” said Honourable Andre Perez during the official launch ceremony held in San Pedro. “With the deployment of these two harvesters, we’re taking a proactive approach that helps protect our marine ecosystems, tourism economy, and beachgoers’ experience.”
The launch, which took place earlier today at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, was met with optimism by both community leaders and environmental advocates who have long pushed for more sustainable and preventative solutions to the Sargassum influx.
The Sargassum Relief Project will monitor the performance of the skimmers in the coming weeks and assess potential expansion of the initiative to other coastal areas affected by the seaweed.
More details are expected to follow from Hol Chan as the program rolls out.
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