San Pedro Town continues to battle the persistent influx of Sargassum, with the sanitation department, supported by additional staff, working daily to keep the beaches clear of the brown seaweed. Over the past week alone, the department reported removing 104 tons of Sargassum from the downtown shoreline. Despite the ongoing challenges, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) has recently downgraded its response level from Code Red to Yellow, while significant quantities of the seaweed continue to wash ashore.
The SPTC has partnered with the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, which has deployed Sargassum harvesters to intercept the seaweed at sea before it reaches land. Despite these efforts, large volumes still accumulate along the beaches. Cleanup crews work daily to address the issue, while many beachfront restaurants and hotels also contribute by maintaining their immediate surroundings to ensure a welcoming environment for their guests.
In San Pedro, the collected Sargassum is repurposed as landfill. Mayor Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez noted that the seaweed is currently being used to fill an area in the San Pedrito subdivision designated for recreational use. “We have filled an area where you can see kids using it as a little park to play football,” he said. The mayor added that the biggest challenge remains the volume of Sargassum being deposited daily. “Luckily, some resorts are helping, and the Belize Tourism Board has also supported us financially. With that assistance, we’ve been able to add more manpower to the cleanup efforts,” Mayor Nuñez said.
According to the National Meteorological Service of Belize, there is a moderate to high risk that more Sargassum will affect the country in the coming days. Areas on alert include San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Hopkins, and Placencia. Experts warn that 2025 could be a record-setting year for Sargassum due to massive blooms observed in the Atlantic Ocean, which are expected to intensify during the summer months. The increase is believed to be linked to renewed water flow in the Amazon River following a period of drought in South America.
The University of South Florida, USA, which closely monitors Sargassum activity, recently reported an estimated 13 million metric tons of the seaweed drifting between Africa and the Caribbean, a new record for March, surpassing the previous high of 12 million metric tons. Researchers from the university expect the blooms to expand further in the peak months of June and July.
