Not yet. But that’s the vision The Seas We Love shared in Cancún in early October at the Global Gateway event “Shaping a Caribbean Sargassum Value Chain”, organized by the EU and Mexico for Caribbean stakeholders working on the sargassum challenge. An AI-generated sequence illustrated each stage of the proposed sargassum value chain. The vision is inspiring and worth considering, but it also raises questions.
The cost per metric ton matters
The more cost added to each metric ton of collected sargassum, the harder it becomes to make the operation economically viable in many settings. The future lies in “simple, sustainable and scalable” solutions: approaches that are easy to use, low-tech where possible, modular, adaptable and suited to island environments, whether for the hospitality industry or local governments.
Huge collection vessels may, for a time, send a political message that action is being taken. But how useful is an approach that most affected coastlines cannot afford or operate?
Building the first links in the value chain
At Sargawatt, we are developing solutions for forecasting, collecting and stabilizing sargassum. Our aim is to make those first steps affordable, effective, environmentally responsible and capable of scaling up. They are essential to the value creation many stakeholders hope to achieve.
Sargawatt does not claim to be the only contributor. Addressing the sargassum challenge will require broad technical, operational and political cooperation throughout the Caribbean.
Matthieu Bergot