The Japanese Government has donated another piece of equipment to the Antigua and Barbuda government to be utilized in the removal of sargassum seaweeds from the nation’s coastline.
General Manager of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Indira James Henry, said the equipment – a harvester – is the final donation in a set of equipment for removal of the invasive seaweeds. Other equipment included booms that have been used for similar purposes.
The donation was made through the Japanese International Corporation Agency and technicians from the suppliers are currently in the country conducting training session with members of the Coast Guard who are the ones who will operate the machine.
The training focuses not only on the operation but also on the maintenance of the equipment as well. It will run over the course of a week.
James Henry said this is the time of the year when the sargassum seaweeds begin to taper off. The sargassum ‘season’ begins in late January or February and comes to an end around this time of the year.
She explained that the harvester is not likely to go into action before early next year unless there is a sudden spike in the arrival of the seaweeds over the coming weeks.
The NSWMA general manager noted that following their removal from the shoreline, the plan is to store the seaweeds in a designated area where they will be allowed to decompose for use as fertilisers or even for export.
“We are looking at several options of what to do with the harvested seaweeds but we are not yet at a stage where there is a final definitive plan of action,” she stated.
The harvester is said to be valued at over $300-thousand.
