Mahahual, a town in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, is currently without a proper seaweed collection center. The early arrival of macroalgae has caught municipal authorities off guard, leaving them unprepared for its containment and collection.
Previously, the town had a property used for seaweed deposit, but it was invaded and is no longer available. The town is in the process of securing and clearing a new site to serve as a macroalgae landfill.
The mayor explained that the new site, selected for the seaweed landfill, is being cleared with assistance from the Agency for Strategic Projects of the State of Quintana Roo (Agepro). However, the site cannot be used yet as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required. This will allow the company hired by the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) to build cells with its geomembrane at the site.
Red Ambiental, a company previously involved in seaweed collection, revealed the lack of an authorized landfill. This came to light after a local resident, concerned about potential environmental law violations, found that seaweed was being dumped on a vacant property on the road from Mahahual to Xcalak. This has been confirmed by the mayor.
Despite the early arrival of macroalgae at the beaches of Quintana Roo this year, municipal authorities were unprepared for its containment. The situation has been exacerbated by hasty solutions, such as the unauthorized dumping of seaweed. The improper disposal of seaweed has led to seepage of liquids from the seaweed into the aquifer, further harming the environment.
In addition to the early arrival of seaweed, the mayor noted the need for more anti-seaweed barriers to control the flow of macroalgae reaching the coasts of Mahahual and Xcalak. The current measures in place are insufficient for containment.
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