A Sargassum algae cleaning operation took place this week inside the Port of Funchal, according to a statement from APRAM.
The operation used two vessels, a multifunction auto-crane, an open-top vehicle, and eight officers from APRAM in an initiative that lasted for three hours.
According to the same source, seven cubic metres of sargassum were removed from Pier 1 of the Port of Funchal.
“Using the Enhancer E-B2100 equipment (a welded steel mesh collection basket), acquired by APRAM under the Oceanlit project, it was the first time that APRAM carried out a surface sargassum cleaning operation within the port basin of Funchal. APRAM added that, “up until now, the cleaning operations have been carried out with human and technical resources placed on land, collecting the algae using nets and other equipment.”
This time, the solution was to ‘sweep’ the water inside the Port of Funchal, collecting the sargassum that would then be removed to a vehicle, which transported it to the São Martinho Fruit Growing Centre, in Funchal.
Since the beginning of the year, the clean-up operations carried out by APRAM have involved a total of four vessels, as many vehicles, two cargo handling machines, 37 men, and the collection of 62 cubic metres of sargassum.
APRAM clarifies that the occurrence of this algae in the ocean is a natural phenomenon, which is more prevalent in tropical waters, such as those of the Caribbean, where there is a large concentration: the Sargasso Sea. With climate change and rising water temperatures, this phenomenon has moved across the Atlantic, already reaching the Canary Islands, the Azores, and in recent months Madeira.
To respond to the phenomenon, the Regional Government has created a multidisciplinary working group, which involves several regional secretariats (Economy, Sea, and Fisheries; Health and Civil Protection; Agriculture and Environment), which together have been working to mitigate the effects of the occurrence of these algae on the seas and beaches of the Region.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Photo: JM
