Since 2011 there has been an increasing quantity of sargassum seaweed being deposited on the beaches of T&T, Grenada, Barbados and on the beaches of all the other Caribbean Islands.
Unusually high deposits of sargassum seaweed is also reported from the Southeast coast of the USA and even from West Africa.
On the beaches on the Atlantic side of Tobago the deposits are much higher this year than in previous years.
Why has the THA not utilised Cepep gangs to clean the beaches and to deposit the collected seaweed in designated areas away from habitation to be converted into valuable compost?
It is a much better product than the imported and expensive peat moss.
Communities located near to the affected beaches should be encouraged to form volunteer clean-up gangs to collect the seaweed which may be used by farmers and by householders in their gardens and flower beds and flower pots, after the salt has been washed out. Some guidance from THA officials in the preparation of the seaweed before use will be helpful.
Seaweed may also be converted into liquid fertiliser after being steeped in water for two to three months. Seaweed fertiliser is big business in many countries but we in T&T do not know how to convert it into dollars.
Seaweed products imported from the USA and the UK may be purchased from garden shops in Trinidad and also in Tobago. Yes Tobago.
Seaweed on our beaches is free for use, and is a valuable resource which, with a little enterprise, could be a dollar earner for the entrepreneur.
Let us help ourselves and stop this dependency on the Government or on the THA to do things for us which we can do for ourselves.
Information on the preparation and use of seaweed in the garden is available from the appropriate websites.
Ian Lambie,
Tobago
