The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has stepped up efforts to address the growing accumulation of sargassum along the Dominican Republic’s coastline by launching a national environmental operation focused on the country’s eastern beaches, one of the areas most affected by the seasonal seaweed influx.
The initiative follows the issuance of Resolution 0046-2025 on July 10, which establishes guidelines for the collection, handling, and disposal of sargassum along the nation’s coast. The ministry has also deployed technical brigades to inspect hotels, evaluate cleanup procedures, and supervise designated storage and disposal sites.
Temporary Permits Issued for Beach Cleanup
As part of the response, representatives from more than 15 hotels located between Uvero Alto and Cabeza de Toro received temporary environmental permits valid for 10 days, allowing them to remove sargassum from beaches under the ministry’s technical supervision.
Under the resolution, each permit holder is responsible for preventing environmental damage during cleanup operations and must comply with the environmental standards established by the ministry.
Technical Inspections to Protect Coastal Ecosystems
The inspections were led by José Ramón Reyes, Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources, together with technical specialists from several ministry departments. The teams assessed which hotels have the capacity to manage collected sargassum at their own facilities and which must transport it to officially authorized disposal sites.
The inspections are intended to ensure that cleanup operations reduce the impact of sargassum without creating additional environmental risks for coastal ecosystems.
Economic Impact Extends Beyond the Beaches
The operation comes just over a month after the ministry warned that sargassum accumulation had reached critical levels across parts of the Caribbean, raising concerns about its effects on marine ecosystems, fisheries, and the tourism industry.
The environmental challenge has also affected local businesses. According to local reports, merchants in coastal communities say persistent sargassum has reduced visitor numbers, forcing many businesses to finance beach cleaning efforts themselves in an attempt to maintain normal operations during the tourism season.
Long-Term Monitoring and Regional Cooperation
In addition to the immediate cleanup measures, the ministry said it is working with international partners to develop a satellite-based monitoring system capable of tracking sargassum movements before they reach Dominican shores.
Authorities also plan to install containment barriers at vulnerable beaches to improve future response efforts. The ministry called on public institutions, private businesses, international organizations, researchers, and local communities to collaborate on long-term strategies to address a phenomenon that continues to pose increasing environmental and economic challenges for the Dominican Republic.