By Charles Gladden
BELMOPAN, Fri. Nov. 7, 2025
The Department of the Environment (DOE), under the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management, in collaboration with the National Sargassum Task Force, received several pieces of machinery on Friday, November 7, to strengthen Belize’s ability to monitor and respond to the influx of Sargassum along the coastline. The donation was made through the regional initiative “SICA AZUL – an Intersectoral Management for the Protection of the Marine Environment,” which is being implemented by the Organization for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of the Central American Isthmus (OSPESCA) and the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) under the Central American Integration System (SICA), with financial support from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
“We know that Sargassum is one of our biggest challenges facing our coastal communities, affecting livelihoods, tourism, and our marine ecosystems,” said Andria Grinage, Senior Blue Economy Officer.
The pieces of equipment included a drone, a laptop, and a sargassum forecasting tool known as the SAMtool, a cutting-edge digital platform designed to enhance a country’s ability to track sargassum movement at sea and anticipate its trajectory and accumulation. The SAMtool was handed over to the technical experts of the National Meteorological Service of Belize to enhance their forecasting and reporting.
Jointly, these tools will enable more precise data analysis, enhance early warning capabilities, and support informed decision-making to protect coastal communities, the tourism industry, and fragile marine ecosystems.
“This marks a significant step forward … and through daily detection, drift prediction, the SAMtool will anticipate landings and plan our response more efficiently, and it will also support the Sargassum Task Force in ensuring that we work more closely with our members and representatives with local government to coordinate timely clean-up operations,” Grinage mentioned.
“Belize continues to stand as a regional leader in environmental management through the SICA AZUL project. Our focus on the sargassum component will serve the wider region, demonstrating how science and technology can be leveraged to build resilience and sustainability,” said Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer of the Department of the Environment. Five coastline municipalities received equipment: Hopkins, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia, and Seine Bight.
