Since 2011, there has been an increase in the strandings of Sargassum seaweed on the coasts of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin. These have intensified since 2015, especially between March and August with a peak in June and July.
The harmful consequences of this phenomenon are now known to all and currently felt by a large part of the population living on the impacted coastline, in particular on the sites of Grandes Cayes, Cul de Sac, Orient Bay, Galion, Quartier d'Orléans, Baie by Lucas. The decomposition of algae generates hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This gas can cause headaches, nausea and vomiting while also causing olfactory discomfort for the population and severely penalizes the tourist economy of the island, in particular for Saint-Martin where the pickup did not take place as agreed despite the many measures put in place by the State to support the Communities.
Since 2018, a local emergency plan has been developed in Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin for the support of the competent communities by the State services. The services of the Department of the Environment, Planning and Housing inform the territorial services twice a week of the risk of stranding. At the same time, a guide to good collection practices was published by the DEAL and is available to the public. Finally, the ARS takes readings to measure the presence of hydrogen sulphide on the stranding sites. Today the major strandings of Sargassum continue, as well as their decomposition. The olfactory genes generated mark the strong presence of hydrogen sulphide and represent a health risk.
An emergency meeting scheduled for early next week
The situation led the Prefect Serge Gouteyron to send a letter dated April 14, 2021, to the Collectivité of Saint-Martin in order to mobilize the "beach cleaning teams, to ensure as soon as possible the removal of Sargassum on the beaches. highly exposed sites ”. Faced with the situation which has deteriorated since April and is now alarming, the State services are always ready to support the action of the territorial services. Faced with the urgency of the situation, the Prefect is organizing a meeting scheduled for the beginning of next week.
A new approved process ...
In Saint-Barthélemy, the collection of Sargassum has been carried out since the start of the groundings by a private service provider. An amendment makes it possible to take into account the massive arrivals of Sargassum in the form of additional costs. Fresh sargassum is harvested daily and stored on sites far from homes. A project to create paper pulp from these algae was launched in 2019 by a start-up. Validated by the Center for the Study and Valorization of Algae (CEVA) in Pleubian in Côtes-d'Armor, the process has just been approved and a first pilot processing site will be installed in Guadeloupe.
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