Sargassum has long been a headache for beaches and fishing areas. A newly approved proposal could give it a useful destination: the farm.
Cabinet has approved a proposal presented by Agriculture Minister Anthony Smith Jr. for the government to work with SargaCycle. The company wants to catch floating sargassum before it reaches the coast, using specialised equipment to collect it at sea and a sealed pipeline to bring it ashore. It would then be transported for processing.
The aim is to make biochar and liquid biostimulants that could help soil hold water and support crops. SargaCycle proposes carrying out the first stages of processing locally while specialist laboratory work is handled by partners overseas. It hopes to develop further laboratory and manufacturing facilities in Antigua & Barbuda by the project’s third year.
The approach could also spare beaches some of the heavy machinery used to clear washed-up sargassum, reducing the amount of sand lost in the process. Before work begins, the relevant government agencies must settle the project’s environmental, technical and regulatory requirements.