Task Force to Mitigate Challenges Posed by Sargassum Valorisation Meets in Grenada

St. George’s, Grenada: The Grenada-EU Task Force, which has been constituted to deal with the challenges posed by Sargassum Valorisation, held its inaugural meeting in Grenada, during which efforts to tackle the environmental and economic challenges posed by the seaweed were discussed.  

The task force also contemplated the possibility of using the seaweed as a valuable resource.  

During the 2nd EU-Caribbean Global Gateway Conference, Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, had pledged to collect and process 10,000 tons of sargassum by 2026.  

During the meeting, Expression of Interest (EOI) was also launched, which invited the private sector companies to take up the project of cleaning the seaweed while considering its utilisation as a valuable resource. 

Dignitaries held discussions on mobilizing resources for the collection of the seaweed. Representatives of some private companies who participated in the meeting shared their proposals, which can be adopted to address the problem of the seaweed and convert it into a valuable resource.  

While highlighting the significance of hosting this meeting, it was outlined that Sargassum affects beaches, marine ecosystems, and communities across the Caribbean and by working together, the leaders can explore ways to address this issue sustainably. PM Mitchell and Team Europe are taking ambitious steps to meet the goal of collecting and processing 10,000 tons of sargassum by 2026. To advance this plan, the government is calling on companies to propose solutions by January 2025. 

The participants further exchanged ideas on offshore collection, turning sargassum into useful products and overcoming technical and funding challenges.

Representatives from GIZ and Expertise France, alongside MDBs and IFIs, discuss the possibilities of forming various partnerships to deal with the seaweed. 

The Task Force stated that these efforts will not on the improve the local environment but will also enhance the social well being of the local community. 

 With cooperation from Grenadian leaders, EU agencies, and global partners, this initiative is a promising step toward tackling environmental issues while fostering sustainable growth in the Caribbean.