The Mexican Caribbean is seeing a tremendous increase in
sargassum deposits across its beaches costing the tourism industry and local government hundreds of thousands.
The arrival of over thirty thousand tonnes of smelly seaweed is forecasted this week, but poor weather conditions have slowed the installation of preventative measures.
The Navy has sent out 26 ships from Chetumal to collect seaweed from the ocean and install barriers around the most popular beaches. On the shore, private businesses have taken on added workers to clear the deposits before tourists arrive for the day. The local government has even offered prisoners reduced sentences to help clear the beaches.
The burden of the sargassum is being felt in hotel bottom lines. Despite having phenomenal occupancy rates for the past few months, the added expenses of sargassum prevention and COVID precautions have caused profit margins to drop drastically.
Hotels now offer daily updates on the sargassum levels to help tourists plan their vacations without disappointment.
