No Quick Fix for Sargassum Crisis, But Regional Unity Essential – Says Environmental Expert at CETRI Workshop

The persistent invasion of sargassum seaweed across the Caribbean — including on the shores of Antigua and Barbuda — remains a serious environmental and economic concern, with no immediate solution in sight. However, one regional expert says the answer lies in stronger collaboration among Caribbean nations.

Speaking at the CETRI Workshop (Caribbean Environmental and Technical Research Initiative) held in Dominica, Edgar Hunter, Senior Technical Advisor in Dominica’s Ministry of the Environment, emphasized that the region’s response to the sargassum influx must be unified and strategic.

“There’s no quick fix to the sargassum problem,” Hunter said in an interview with Starcom Network News following his presentation. “But if CARICOM member states, including Antigua and Barbuda, come together, we can better manage its impacts through shared resources, research, and coordinated action.”

Antigua and Barbuda has experienced growing sargassum invasions in recent years, affecting key coastal areas like Willikies, Indian Creek, and the eastern shores of Barbuda. These large seaweed blooms not only create unpleasant conditions on beaches, but also harm marine habitats, disrupt fishing operations, and pose a threat to tourism a critical pillar of the nation’s economy.

While local agencies have launched cleanup efforts and explored potential uses for the seaweed including composting and energy production the scale of the challenge has stretched resources thin. Hunter believes that greater regional collaboration could help ease the burden on individual countries.

“A regional approach means we can develop early warning systems, share best practices, and explore large-scale uses of sargassum that make economic sense,” he said. “It’s time to move beyond fragmented efforts and think collectively.”

His comments come amid renewed interest across the Caribbean in tackling environmental threats through joint action, particularly as climate change intensifies the frequency and scale of events like sargassum blooms.

The CETRI Workshop brought together experts and policymakers from across the region to discuss sustainable solutions to shared environmental challenges. The issue of sargassum featured prominently in the discussions, with participants calling for enhanced research, public-private partnerships, and policy alignment across CARICOM states.

For Antigua and Barbuda, Hunter’s remarks underscore a growing consensus: that addressing the sargassum threat requires not just local response, but regional unity backed by science, innovation, and political will.