Mexico has spent US$17 million to remove over half a million tons of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed from its Caribbean beaches.
The problem has become so acute that an international symposium on the issue was held recently in Cancun. Tourism throughout the Caribbean has started to be seriously affected by the blight, some sector representatives said. According to Mexicojourney.com, many hotels on the Mexican Caribbean are taking measures to provide clear beach access through clearing the seaweed and removing it from the beach, while others are unable or unwilling to do so due to a lack of human and financial resources, an unwillingness to alter naturally occurring patterns or long-term concerns that the seaweed will actually protect and enhance their beaches.