A growing environmental crisis is pushing the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to pursue targeted, collaborative solutions, drawing on hard-won expertise from neighboring French Caribbean territories to address the relentless influx of harmful sargassum seaweed. Backed by European Union funding, a regional delegation of technical experts and policymakers from nine OECS member states completed a five-day study tour in Martinique and Guadeloupe in early June, aimed at translating proven sargassum management practices into a coordinated regional framework that balances environmental protection with economic opportunity.
The urgent need for action has intensified across the Eastern Caribbean as massive mats of sargassum continue to wash ashore, creating cascading harms for coastal communities and ecosystems. In vulnerable areas like Grenada’s Soubise fishing village, decomposing seaweed releases toxic fumes that disrupt daily life and threaten public health. Environmentally, the algae outbreak destroys critical mangrove habitats and coral reefs, accelerates coastal erosion, and blocks access to fishing grounds while damaging fishing gear, pushing small-scale fishing operations to the brink of disruption. For tourism-reliant regional economies, the unmanaged influx of rotting seaweed represents a steady threat to livelihoods and local economic stability.
During the June 1–5 mission, which was supported by the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund RIGHT Programme and the SARSEA project, delegates examined every stage of the integrated sargassum management system developed by the two French Caribbean outermost regions. The delegation observed offshore interception barriers and specialized harvesting barges that trap floating sargassum before it reaches sensitive shorelines, toured sites demonstrating low-impact manual collection techniques that avoid damaging beach ecosystems and sea turtle nesting habitats, and met with air quality monitoring agencies to learn about early-warning systems that track toxic gas emissions and alert at-risk coastal communities. Delegates also reviewed field safety protocols, including the use of personal gas monitors for response teams, a measure Grenada’s Ministry of Tourism representative Miklembly Bridgeman highlighted as critical to protecting frontline workers.
A core focus of the study tour was exploring sargassum valorization—the process of converting collected seaweed from a costly waste product into a commercially valuable resource to boost the region’s blue economy. At the Holdex processing facility in Le François, Martinique, delegates saw first-hand how operational systems convert harvested sargassum into agricultural compost and renewable bioenergy. Early research shows that sargassum-based compost can boost agricultural yields by up to 14%, while processed seaweed also provides an affordable source of biogas for local energy production, turning a persistent crisis into an opportunity for sustainable economic growth.
Susana Agüero, Programme Manager at the Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, noted that the shared challenge of sargassum influx creates unique opportunities for cross-regional learning. “Martinique is one of the French regions tackling the very same issues affecting economies, public health, and tourism across the wider Caribbean and OECS Member States,” Agüero explained. “They have built an integrated network using multiple approaches — from manual collection to specialized sea barriers and offshore harvesting. Furthermore, ongoing developments in storage and processing will soon convert sargassum into valuable commercial products, simultaneously protecting vulnerable sectors and community health.”
Officials from the OECS say the insights gained from the mission will directly shape future regional policy and planning for sargassum management. Natasha Deterville-Moise, Officer-in-Charge of the OECS Economic Development Unit, emphasized the value of the collaborative approach during a roundtable discussion with local officials in Marie-Galante. “These operational insights will directly inform the development of robust regional mitigation and adaptation plans,” Deterville-Moise said. “By fostering active collaboration between public and private stakeholders, the OECS Commission is positioning the proven solutions in the French Territories as a practical framework for building a more resilient and sustainable Eastern Caribbean.”
Moving forward, the OECS will work to adapt the French Caribbean’s operational practices, institutional frameworks, and public-private partnership models to fit the unique needs of Eastern Caribbean communities. The initiative is designed not only to address the immediate threat of recurring sargassum influxes but also to strengthen regional climate resilience, creating long-term, sustainable solutions for one of the Eastern Caribbean’s most persistent environmental and economic challenges.