Sargassum Study Points to BVI Solutions
Representatives from the Virgin Islands joined an OECS–EU study visit in Martinique and Guadeloupe to examine sargassum management, interception, monitoring and potential uses. The visit produced practical recommendations—air quality monitoring, community-based collection, evaluation of barriers and barges, and composting trials—that have direct relevance to the BVI’s coastal, tourism and public-health planning.
Delegates from the Virgin Islands took part in the OECS–European Union Study Visit on Sargassum Management and Valorisation in Martinique and Guadeloupe from May 31 to June 5, gathering technical briefings, site visits and stakeholder consultations on ways to manage recurring sargassum influxes across the Caribbean.
Dr Karen Chalwell-Brewley and Atoya George, a Climate Change Officer with the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, represented the Virgin Islands. In her report, Dr Chalwell-Brewley said, “The observations and lessons emerging from the study visit may prove useful as the Virgin Islands continues to explore practical and sustainable approaches to sargassum management, environmental protection, coastal resilience, and public health preparedness.” The study visit focused on interception and collection techniques, monitoring approaches and options for the productive use of collected sargassum.
Delegates observed coastal barriers and barges, collection equipment, processing sites and community-driven programmes that involve fishers and coastal residents. They also examined pilot projects that turn processed sargassum into compost or other products. Key recommendations of the visit are immediately relevant for BVI planning: assess the feasibility of air quality monitoring in sargassum-prone areas to protect residents and visitors from noxious gases such as hydrogen sulfide; explore community-based collection programmes that employ local fishers and coastal communities; evaluate the costs and benefits of barriers and barges for offshore interception and nearshore collection; and investigate composting and other value-added uses for processed sargassum.
The visit formed part of the SARSEA (Sargassum Regional Strategies for Ecosystem-Based Actions) Initiative, a regional programme supported by the European Union, Agence Française de Développement, Expertise France and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. For the British Virgin Islands—where tourism, fisheries and coastal livelihoods are vital—these measures offer a roadmap for reducing beach closures, protecting public health and finding economic uses for what has become a seasonal challenge.
Practical next steps could include commissioning a local feasibility study on monitoring and processing, piloting small community collection schemes, seeking regional funding through SARSEA partners, and issuing public guidance on safe handling and disposal. As sargassum events become more frequent, the lessons from neighbouring islands may help the BVI build resilient, community-centred responses that protect beaches, businesses and residents while exploring sustainable uses for collected seaweed.
Primary source: VINO