Belize City’s Sargassum Bill: $10,000 Now, Could Need Up to $325K for Seasons Ahead

The Belize City Council says it is exploring longer-term solutions to tackle sargassum after spending thousands of dollars to remove the seaweed from the city’s coastline.

Deputy Mayor Eluidge Miller said Thursday that the council’s sargassum response is driven by need, with cleanup operations carried out when forecasts indicate significant seaweed influxes. 

He said the council “entered into a rental arrangement with, I think, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve” to clear an influx of sargassum at the start of this month. 

The initial three- to four-day operation cost about $10,000 and covered the rental of the harvester and its crew. Miller said the city also incurred additional expenses for dump trucks, fuel and other equipment needed to complete the cleanup.

“We don’t have specialised equipment of our own to take care of these things, and so it does come at some cost to us,” Miller said, adding that the council is exploring adapted excavators for future removal, a method the National Sargassum Task Force has recommended based on its success elsewhere in the country.

Earlier this month, an internal engineering assessment recommended treating sargassum as a recurring seasonal challenge and setting aside dedicated funding for future cleanup operations. The report estimated that a comprehensive emergency response would cost about $170,000, while a full seasonal maintenance programme could require between $250,000 and $325,000.

“I don’t think it’s a problem that will go away,” Miller said. “This is a problem that we are preparing ourselves to be able to tackle in the future.”