The third Coastal Municipalities Meeting highlighted the urgent needs of coastal towns, including Yabucoa’s request for more support to address sargassum accumulation and Vega Baja’s concern about erosion. The meeting, convened by the Interagency Board for Beach Management and held in Cataño, also questioned the apparent unavailability of state resources to manage sargassum, which can cause environmental and public health problems.
Dr. Ricardo Colón Rivera, official of the Northeast Ecological Corridor, detailed the initiatives of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) to collect sargassum, which vary depending on the amount accumulated. Yabucoa Mayor Rafael Surillo Ruiz expressed disappointment at not having received concrete solutions to the problem, despite attending the meeting. Dr. Mariana León Pérez warned that 2026 will be a record year for sargassum in Puerto Rico, posing a risk to environmental and human health due to the emission of toxic gases, presence of microorganisms, and deposition of heavy metals.