And we also asked the Minister and rural south area rep for an update on San Pedro's sargassum situation. He reiterated that this year saw the worst influx and that while the harvesters were hard at work, it just wasn't enough to deal with the volume. He added that this is a problem the entire region is trying to solve.
Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy
"The harvesters are always of good news. The thing is that it's so overwhelming, the sargassum is really a regional problem. We keep repeating that and there is no real right solution to tackle this, no one has come up with that one solution. We've heard so many different advice, different people showing us let's make blocks, let's make energy, let's do different kinds of things but what we cannot solve is how do we harvest it, how can we gather it in one single place? It's spread across. Certainly that has been one issue so that overshadows what the harvesters are doing but to say that the harvesters aren't working, that's not true."
"The worst one we had was back in 2018 and we did have a heavy one in 2022 but this one has been by far the worst ever. The quality of life, of course, people health problems that they do affect, that smell that when you're landing, when you're coming on a flight, you can immediately as soon as you reach a certain altitude you get that smell. Now we're immersed in it in this community but when you come out of your house or so, that smell is everywhere prevailing. But it's affecting health wise, tourism wise, I've heard of different resorts where people cancel. We try to find alternatives for them, certainly have to look at different ways how to battle it. Case in point, I'm discussing with the council as well, since everyone is heading to secret beach, since there is no sargassum there being the western side of the island, we need to see that we reclaim a beach, somewhere from Boca Del Rio to where the, it's about maybe a half mile that we want to reclaim and we have need because of beach erosion and with that we'll be able to control that specific area with sargassum as well."
And Perez said that while sargassum is affecting the tourism numbers, it's also compounded by other factors. But there's a glimmer of hope for a possible solution at this year's investment summit.
Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy
"I don't want to speak to cancellations but yes there's been a drop in tourism because of slow season of course, other different factors, the economy in the US, the uncertainties, the political aspect of the US, people are traveling less for that reason and of course the factors of sargassum that is affecting our way but what can we do, we just have to wait and we're expecting the season to look. However, I know that we're looking at the figures coming up in October, November and it will be picking up again. But it's been a good run. And being optimistic about it, the first 6 months has been a good run for us so it's time right now to be positive in terms of many of the resorts are closing for servicing, repairs and maintenance, I do know different places, what they would do is that they would stay with a crew to clean up and prepare. I think you see there's sales where they're changing their furnitures. so it's all part of preparing for the bigger season to come."
Courtney Menzies:
"But have you been hearing from these resort owners that the tourists are complaining a lot about the sargassum?"
Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy
"Absolutely. We're engaged with them at all times, the hoteliers. In fact, we know the figures that they spend. They're spending per person to pick up the sargassum almost $100 a day. So yes we're engaging with them and absolutely we're hearing the cries, this is a regional problem. And as such we've entered the summit that we're going to be having these days, we're going to be having bilaterals. I'm engaged with a specific company right now, we'll be meeting with them from Mexico that they're offering us a way to deal with the sargassum so I'm very keen to meet in the summit from that as it relates to the sargassum so obviously this investment summit is key to that right now."
We'll tell you more about the summit later in this newscast.
