Deputy Secretary, Premier’s Office, Dr. Lavon P. Chalwell-Brewley has stated that the Virgin Islands could benefit from practical strategies aimed at improving public health preparedness, protecting coastal ecosystems, strengthening tourism resilience, and creating economic opportunities through the productive use of sargassum. Photo: Internet Source

During the study visit held in Martinique and Guadeloupe from May 31 to June 5, delegates came together to explore innovative approaches to managing the environmental, social, health, and economic impacts of recurring sargassum influxes across the Caribbean. Dr. Chalwell-Brewley, along with Ms. Atoya George, a Climate Change Officer within the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, represented the Virgin Islands. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands

Her comments followed her participation in the OECS-European Union Study Visit on Sargassum Management and Valorisation, held in Martinique and Guadeloupe from May 31 to June 5.

Explore innovative approaches to managing Sargassum 

During the study visit, delegates came together to explore innovative approaches to managing the environmental, social, health, and economic impacts of recurring sargassum influxes across the Caribbean. Dr Chalwell-Brewley, along with Ms. Atoya George, a Climate Change Officer within the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, represented the Virgin Islands. They engaged in technical briefings, site visits, and stakeholder consultations focusing on sargassum interception, collection, monitoring, and utilisation.

In her report, Dr Chalwell-Brewley noted, “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. Given the increasing frequency of sargassum influxes affecting our coastlines, the study visit provided a timely opportunity to examine approaches being implemented elsewhere. The knowledge gained has direct relevance to ongoing discussions regarding environmental management, public health protection, tourism resilience, fisheries sustainability, and opportunities for the productive utilisation of collected sargassum.” 

Visit forms part of SARSEA initiative

Following the study visit, some key recommendations included assessing the feasibility of air quality monitoring systems in sargassum-prone areas, exploring community-based collection programmes involving fishermen and coastal communities, evaluating the costs and benefits of barriers and barges, and investigating composting opportunities for processed sargassum.

The study visit was 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.