Mexico sargassum cleanup tops 100,000 tons

Mexico's sargassum cleanup in the Caribbean has collected more than 100,000 tons of the seaweed in the first half of the year, already more than the 92,782 tons gathered in all of last year.

A round-the-clock operation is using boats, barriers, amphibious vehicles and manual beach cleaning teams to try to stop the brown algae from reaching beaches in the Riviera Maya and Tulum area.

Rear Admiral Topiltzin Flores, who leads the operation, said the season had required greater effort. He said the goal is to concentrate work on the open ocean before sargassum reaches the coast.

The Mexican Navy has used 27 specialised ships since 2019 to help contain sargassum, a floating algae that began arriving in the area in 2011. One larger ship can carry 300 tons of seaweed, while smaller vessels scoop sargassum from the water's surface.

The seaweed has still reached many beaches, bringing a smell described by residents and workers as similar to rotting eggs. Some businesses say the problem has reduced customers and staffing.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has said foreign tourist arrivals are at record levels and that there have not been major losses, while acknowledging a slight drop. She attributed the shift to the price of plane fuel.

Industry statistics cited in the supplied material put hotel occupancy this summer between 55 percent and 70 percent depending on the destination, compared with high-season averages of up to 90 percent 15 years ago.