STINAPA Director, Arjen de Wolff, was quickly on the scene to take stock of “Bonaire’s an unwelcome Christmas gift”, when large quantities of sargassum were found washing up on Bonaire’s windward shore, choking the beaches at Lagun and Washikemba.
De Wolff praised clean up efforts, “STINAPA Bonaire staff, Junior Rangers, aided by a large group of volunteers from Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, Jong Bonaire and many others put in a great effort to get rid of the first batch”. But noted, “If left unchecked, after a few days, the sargassum will start to decompose, killing all life underneath and spreading a horrible smell across the area. This is simply too much for human hands alone, so tomorrow morning, when they become available, we’re bringing in trucks and heavy equipment to continue the work”.
STINAPA staffers Desiree Croes, Sabine Engel, Wijnand de Wolf, Edwin Domacasse and all those great volunteers who left their Christmas breakfast table and put their family time on hold were thanked for attending to this issue. STINAPA Bonaire has pledged that together with the Bonaire government, Jong Bonaire, STCB and many others they will continue to keep Bonaire’s shores clean and safe.
In response to massive sargassum events which effected large parts of the Caribbean a couple of years ago, CERMES, SPAW Regional Activity Centre and GCFI developed a “Sargassum Management Brief”
