WILLEMSTAD - Member of Parliament Juniel Carolina of the coalition party MFK has asked questions about cleaning up sargassum after complaints from various neighborhoods. Carolina wants to know from Minister Dorothy Pietersz-Janga of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN) whether there is a 'cleaning plan'.
Sargassum is a brown algae that forms into floating seaweed mats. Once sargassum floats to shore it accumulates and then sinks and rots. The rotting weed can cause a pungent odor.
According to Carolina, mainly residents in the area of St. Joris and Boka Ascension are bothered by the stench of the weed. “In addition, fishing boats get stuck in the seaweed and it is a danger for underwater animals and plants along the coast,” the MP writes in his letter to Pietersz-Janga.
Carolina has asked the minister whether she is aware of the nuisance and inconvenience caused by the seaweed. He also asked questions about setting up a cleaning plan for the sargassum and what costs are involved.