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VROMI launched an emergency sargassum clean-up in May 2025 as seaweed piled up on the east coast
In late May 2025 the Ministry of VROMI began an emergency island-wide sargassum clean-up after heavy build-ups at Oyster Pond, Simpson Bay and Beacon Hill raised health complaints.
By SXM Daily ยท
Reported 26 May 2025.
The Ministry of VROMI began an emergency clean-up of sargassum seaweed over the weekend of 24 and 25 May 2025, after large amounts washed up on several Sint Maarten coasts. The Government of Sint Maarten said on 26 May that the work, led by VROMI's Department of Infrastructure Management, focused on Simpson Bay, Beacon Hill and Oyster Pond/Dawn Beach.
Photo: alljengi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, illustrative
Health complaints
According to the government release, the Ministry of VSA's Inspectorate and the Collective Prevention Services had seen an increase in health complaints linked to rotting sargassum, especially in Beacon Hill. Decaying seaweed gives off hydrogen sulphide gas, which can irritate the airways and causes strong smells. Inspectors described an unprecedented build-up at Oyster Pond, with Dawn Beach, Guana Bay and Pointe Blanche also affected.
The Daily Herald reported the same areas and said early clean-up work had already been done in Simpson Bay and Beacon Hill, with Oyster Pond next. The ministry asked people to stay away from beaches where heavy machinery was working and to report large build-ups.
Why it happens
The Nature Foundation Sint Maarten said on 27 May 2025 that a new wave of sargassum was hitting the island's shores more heavily than usual, as forecasts had predicted. It explained that the algae floats in mats from the Atlantic and that large blooms are linked to nutrient run-off, warmer seas and changing currents. Mats on the shore can also trap sea turtles and stop them nesting, the foundation said.
The government said it was also working with partners on a longer-term plan for repeated sargassum influxes.
Sources
- https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/pages/Ministry-of-VROMI-Responds-to-Sargassum-Emergency-with-Island-Wide-Cleanup-Operations.aspx
- https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/vromi-launches-emergency-island-wide-clean-up-to-combat-sargassum-surge
- https://naturefoundationsxm.org/heavy-sargassum-influx-begins-landing-on-sint-maartens-shores/