Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone Directorate (ZOFEMAT) in Cozumel has announced it is prepared to face the upcoming sargassum season with a 6.3 million peso investment in vehicles, equipment, and personnel.
ZOFEMAT director Irwin Batún Alpuche detailed that the resources have been allocated for purchasing vehicles, accessories, uniforms, specialized equipment, and establishing a reserve fund for emergencies.
Strategic acquisitions at the end of the 2025 season included a three-ton truck costing 1.7 million pesos, an additional pickup truck, and various accessories to reinforce cleaning brigades. Approximately 938,000 pesos were invested in maintenance and repairs for vehicles damaged by saltwater and constant use in collection operations.
Batún emphasized that personnel now have new uniforms, gloves, boots, and reflective vests through an investment of about 472,000 pesos. “We can’t wait for materials to deteriorate before replacing them,” he said. “We need sufficient stock to guarantee the safety and efficiency of our brigades.”
Currently, ZOFEMAT has 50 workers distributed across two brigades, a number considered sufficient to begin the season. However, a 1.3 million peso reserve fund will allow for hiring additional personnel or renting vehicles if sargassum arrivals exceed expectations.
Batún reported that approximately 100 tons of sargassum have already been removed this year, even before the critical period expected in June. Cleanup efforts have included collaboration with educational institutions like CONALEP, where an additional four tons were collected.
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