He Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) ruled out the reuse of sargasso for agricultural purposes or “that relate to actions that culminate in products for human consumption,” such as compostingin its final protocol for handling extreme accumulations of this brown macroalgae on the coasts of Puerto Rico.
The agency made the decision based on studies from other countries, which have detected the presence of heavy metalssuch as arsenic and cadmium, in vegetables grown in soils enriched with sargassum.
“The uses that we are contemplating right now, in terms of collaboration, are industrial uses or sargassum as raw material for another type of use. What we are not promoting are consumer uses, agriculture or livestock feed, compost, etc.he explained Ricardo Colon Riveratechnical advisor to the Bureau of Protected Natural Areas of the DNER.
According to the management plan, if the material needs to be accumulated before disposal or use, it must be on an impermeable surface or a plastic cover must be placed to protect the soil from leachates – liquids formed by waste.
The collected material would be sent to a landfill approved, in which there is the capacity to handle materials with these contaminants. “In these landfills, the use of collected material can be encouraged as cover material for other waste,” the document dictates.
The DRNA recently completed a series of internal training on the protocol. The last training session – to which The new day attended – it was carried out at the DRNA offices, in San Juan, before agency personnel who would go out to evaluate excessive sargassum events.
In March, the DRNA will begin a series of orientations aimed at coastal municipalities and environmental non-profit organizationsColón Rivera said.
Latest protocol for the management of sargassum It was prepared in 2015, the year in which excessive accumulation was recorded of algae on the coast of Puerto Rico.
In the new document, Colón Rivera detailed, the DRNA expanded the section on legal aspects and made changes to the action plan, which now includes an evaluation sheet that allows you to quantify the level of sargassum accumulation.
“The original protocol had a very good idea and the general direction that we took was that the work should be coordinated across the regions, but we are expanding on how these works are going to be coordinated,” said Colón Rivera.
In January 2023, the governor Pedro Pierluisi became law a joint resolution of the House of Representatives, which ordered the DRNA to develop and execute – in 90 days – a mitigation plan to address the sargassum problem. The DRNA had until April 3 to submit the document, but it was not until September that the agency secretary, Anais Rodriguez Vegaconfirmed to this medium that They already had a final plan.
To carry out mitigation work, The DNER acquired six industrial tractors, which it calls “sargaceras,” to remove the accumulation of macroalgae in the coastal area. He also bought a “sargacera” boat, “which is on its way.”Colón Rivera assured.
On the coasts of Puerto Rico, the arrival of sargassum, composed of brown algae species, predominates. Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitanswhose structures allow them to flower and be carried by currents.
Sargassum represents, in the open sea, a perfect nursery and feeding area for multiple species, according to the DRNA. In fact, some species of sea turtles In danger of extinction, they use sargassum for food and protection in their first years of life.
However, When it accumulates on the coast and begins to decompose, it loses its ability to serve as a habitat and can directly affect the species that become trapped in the algae. It also harms recreational and commercial activities, such as the use of beaches and spas..
The action plan broken down in the new protocol consists of four stages:
- Preparation: contemplates identifying vulnerable areas due to excess sargassum, training agency personnel and acquiring the necessary equipment to execute the plan. The DRNA has identified areas such as La Parguerain Slabs; La Guancha, in Ponceand Palmas del Mar, in Humacaosuch as highly vulnerable surfaces.
- Notice and notification to the DRNA: Any agency staff, citizen or affected community can report extreme sargassum accumulation through a form.
- Assessment: The evaluation committee receives the notification and determines if it warrants a field analysis. If so, DRNA staff will determine the level of sargassum accumulation based on the qualitative evaluation sheet.
- Answer: As a result of the evaluation result, the DRNA will prepare an action plan for the place. The protocol includes a table with suggested actions for interventions, according to the result of the evaluation.
Colón Rivera maintained that the plan could be modified in the future, and stated that the recommendations of some employees who participated in the workshop would be accepted, who suggested incorporating a tool so that citizens can follow the progress of their notifications.
“(Sargassum) is a problem that is here to stay”said Colón Rivera, at the end of the training.