Dominican Republic plans US$9 million investment to protect beaches from sargassum

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic has earmarked US$9 million to combat sargassum on its beaches once an effective offshore collection solution is identified, Tourism Minister David Collado announced.

Collado said the funds are being held by the Dominican Republic’s Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores) and will be released only after authorities identify a long-term solution capable of collecting sargassum at sea before it reaches the shoreline. He stressed that removing the seaweed after it washes ashore is not a permanent solution to the environmental challenge affecting the country’s tourism sector.

The tourism minister also urged UN Tourism to accelerate research into sargassum mitigation and revealed that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is developing a pilot project focused on the issue. The Dominican Republic and Cancún, Mexico, were selected to participate because both destinations have been heavily impacted by recurring sargassum influxes.