Barahona launches large‑scale sargassum removal operation

More than 400 men and women began a coordinated cleanup of sargassum on Barahona’s coast on June 12, extending through June 13. The effort is organized by the provincial governor’s office and the municipal mayor, with support from the Dominican ministries of Tourism and Environment, the Public Assistance and Community Food Directorate, the Ministry of Public Works, the Institute for Southwest Development, the Dominican Army, the National Police and private sector partners. Participants use shovels, backhoes and trucks to collect the algae, which is later hauled to a municipal landfill.

The operation also includes a mobile kitchen that provides roughly 400 cooked meals daily to volunteers, soldiers and staff. Officials acknowledge the cleanup is only a temporary relief, noting that “we are facing a situation that impacts the entire Caribbean region. This effort represents a temporary alleviation, but the problem requires permanent action and constant coordination.” At the same time, authorities are pursuing projects to turn the harvested sargassum into useful products, such as the regional CARIBS initiative coordinated by the Institute of Technology of Santo Domingo.