Placencia Demands Urgent Action: ‘Sargassum Cleanup Isn’t Enough’
Beach erosion along the Placencia Peninsula has reached levels not seen in generations, according to the Placencia Village Council, which is seeking urgent government intervention and concrete measures to protect the coastline ahead of the next sargassum season.
Warren Garbutt, Chairman of the Placencia Village Council, says the peninsula is experiencing its worst erosion in decades. “The Placencia Peninsula has seen the most severe erosion that we’ve ever seen, and speaking to elders, the worst it’s been in over 70, 80 years,” he said.
Garbutt says the Council is concerned that attention to the problem tends to fade once sargassum levels decrease, leaving communities and businesses unprepared for its return.
“All that we’ve been doing to address the issue over the last 10 years is not making much of a difference,” said Garbutt.
While acknowledging the work of the national Sargassum Task Force in studying the issue and identifying possible solutions, Garbutt says the Council has not seen enough meaningful action or concrete plans to address the problem.
“We have to try something different, and it has to be done in the very short term,” said Garbutt.
Garbutt says the Council plans to send an official letter to the relevant authorities, requesting a meeting that would include business leaders, stakeholders and community residents. The discussions would focus on identifying urgent measures that could help protect the beach before the upcoming tourism season.
“We don’t think that enough is done to prepare and plan for the upcoming years. Sargassum is not a new issue. It’s something that we’ve been facing since 2016, 2017,” said Garbutt.