The government of Antigua and Barbuda is inviting expressions of interest for the supply of equipment and machinery for the cost-effective removal of sargassum at sea and on beaches:

During the past 5 years Antigua & Barbuda has been negatively impacted by the influx Sargassum seaweed on the beaches, threatening both tourism & economic industry products. The current national response to the influx of Sargasso is unsustainable. The money and effort spent cleaning beaches and coastlines is an opportunity cost to competing national priorities such as building climate resilience, enhancing environmental management, improving health care or supporting education. Furthermore, manual Sargassum removal is not able to keep pace with the coastal inundation, and manual removal on the coastline is accelerating beach erosion.

The government is exploring more cost-effective ways to cope with the influx of Sargassum seaweed.

The overall goal of this initiative is to develop a sustainable approach to Sargassum seaweed management and seek viable alternatives for the use of Sargassum in Antigua and Barbuda.

The specific objectives are:

1. To collect most of the Sargassum while still in the open sea for use in manufacturing and industry development,
2. To reduce the amount of Sargassum landing on the beaches, and
3. To find economic and other beneficial uses for the Sargassum.

The successful implementation of this initiative here in Antigua and Barbuda will support replication throughout the region with greater efficiency as there would be greater focus on product development.

The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is July 25, 2018. The full procurement notice [pdf] is available at the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Environment’s website.

[Image: via Phikwe Goodwin/Antigua Sargassum Seaweed Observations]