Fishermen in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are experiencing significant wear and tear on their boat engines due to the increased presence of sargassum in local waters.
On Monday, Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, addressed parliament about measures taken by the government to mitigate the influx of Sargassum. According to Caesar, the government is also aware of the effects on tourism.
Measures such as activating a seaweed invasion task force to advise on seaweed management were listed. The task force consists of representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Transport & Works, Health, and National Rivers, Beaches and Parks Authority.
According to Caesar, the private sector was approached because the government would not be able to hire daily workers to clean seaweed. Caesar on Monday made another call on the private sector once more for assistance, emphasising the need for a partnership.
A National Action Plan for the Influx of Sargassum seaweed was also created in 2015 to outline early responses, including outreach and awareness campaigns.
