On the sun-drenched coastlines of San Pedro, Belize’s top tourist hub, a growing problem of rotting sargassum accumulation has spurred a local tour guide to launch a grassroots movement to restore the island’s iconic beaches.
Oscar Iboy, a dedicated member of the local advocacy group San Pedro Citizens for Change, launched the regular community cleanup initiative after participating in a small cleanup event near the town’s high school. Frustrated by consistently low volunteer turnout at scattered one-off events, Iboy made the decision to formalize a recurring program to tackle the sargassum crisis that is choking stretches of the island’s shoreline.
For Iboy, protecting the beaches is not just an environmental issue—it is an economic priority for every member of the San Pedro community. “San Pedro is the number one tourist destination in the country, and every local industry from restaurants to hotels to tour operations benefits from that reputation,” he explained. “We all gain from tourism, so we all have a stake in keeping the island’s image pristine.”
So far, the initiative has seen slow but steady growth in community participation. The first organized cleanup drew just 13 volunteers, while the most recent event attracted around 20 local residents committed to the cause. That upward momentum has encouraged Iboy to continue expanding the program, which currently holds cleanup events every other Sunday.
Beyond damaging the island’s appeal to visitors, Iboy warns that prolonged sargassum buildup poses a tangible threat to local marine life. Though he is not a marine scientist, he has firsthand evidence of the harm: as sargassum decomposes on the shore, it releases harmful acids that have already killed scores of small fish and sardines that wash up onto the beach. “You can see dead fish floating all along the shoreline,” he said. “It doesn’t take a scientist to see how dangerous this buildup is.”
The crisis comes at a particularly difficult time for San Pedro’s tourism sector, which has struggled in recent years and left many tour guides like Iboy out of consistent work. To address both the sargassum problem and the economic hardship facing local workers, Iboy has proposed that the San Pedro Town Council create paid cleanup positions for unemployed residents. The model would kill two birds with one stone: it would give struggling locals a chance to earn extra income while tackling the ongoing sargassum problem and protecting the island’s tourism brand.
The initiative has sparked some local debate: some San Pedro residents argue that addressing coastal sargassum is a government responsibility, not a job for volunteer community groups. But Iboy remains firm that collective community action is the only way to deliver real, lasting change. “We all reap the benefits of living and working on this beautiful island,” he said. “It’s upsetting to see our beach ruined like this when we have the power to step in and help.”
As the cleanup effort continues, Iboy and San Pedro Citizens for Change are urging both local residents and business owners to join the movement, lend a hand at upcoming events, and help protect the natural resource that forms the foundation of San Pedro’s livelihood.