Here is the translated version............
Quebec boats chasing Mexican Sargassum algae
July 29, 2019
No Comment bassin-atlantique -App Fil-info-app Planet
© The Ocean Cleaner
A boat and two trailers built in Quebec will be used to collect Sargassum algae that have proliferated for five years in the Caribbean and spoil the holidays of many tourists, reports Radio Canada.
We are a Quebec company that helps the Caribbean, says Denis Jimenez, a French expatriate in Mexico for four years. The boat he designed, named Sargaboat, became a reality when four Quebec investors jumped together on the adventure. "The ecological mission of the project interested me a lot," says one of them, Cyril Paciullo. "The idea of cleaning all the beaches we see polluted every year is really interesting."
The Sargaboat and its trailers were tested in the Caribbean Sea just a week ago. A great success to recover these brown and smelly seaweeds which are washed up on the beaches, according to its designer.
The effectiveness of the principle, unique according to Denis Jimenez, even caught the attention of the Mexican governor Carlos Joaquín, who vaunted the merits. A first contract was signed with the Vidanta hotel group, which has a dozen establishments in Mexico, both on the east coast and on the west coast. Several beaches of its hotels were free of seaweed for the first time in three years at this time of the year thanks to Sargaboat. Vidanta even plans to take advantage of seaweed, recycling cargoes recovered at sea in fertilizer and biogas. Several other hoteliers in the Riviera Maya have shown interest in the technology now that they have seen it in action, says Cyril Paciullo.
Vacationers are choosing less and less Mexico
Sargassum seaweed solution developed by Denis Jimenez, and propelled through Quebec, comes at the right time, while tourists begin to seek some destinations once very popular. Mexico is almost a no-show for many people, says Philippe Larose-Desmarais, director at Aéroport Voyages. He estimates that about 30% fewer vacationers choose Mexico because they are aware of the problem. Algae have become a selection criterion to consider before choosing a destination.
The Riviera Maya in Mexico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic are the two most affected regions. Ironically, these are also the favorite destinations of Quebecers, says Isabelle Saint-Amant, President of Espaces Voyages.
In the meantime, although Sargasso seaweed is a nightmare for tourism in Mexico, other sun destinations are taking advantage of the problem. Cuba, for example, welcomes tourists who were previously reluctant to go there, observes Philippe Larose-Desmarais of Aéroport Voyages. Isabelle Saint-Amant of Espaces Voyages suggests to her clients areas where they would not necessarily have gone before. This is the case, for example, of the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) in the Caribbean, destinations that are not suitable for all portfolios.
