SANTO DOMINGO - The Sargassum Control Cabinet met yesterday to coordinate the implementation of public policies to mitigate and control this macroalga on the coasts of the Dominican Republic.
The Ministers of Environment and Natural Resources (MMARN), Miguel Ceara Hatton, and of Tourism, David Collado, led the working session with the members of the cabinet created by Decree 379-23.
A press release explains that the meeting established the general guidelines for the coordination of actions and the methodology that will characterize its institutional performance, agreeing to address the fight against sargassum with a comprehensive approach, after considering that it is a complex challenge that requires prevention, mitigation and adaptation measures.
They also stressed the importance of the cabinet having the support of all sectors involved, including the public sector, the private sector, and civil society.
In announcing the results of the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Coastal and Marine Affairs of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, José Ramón Reyes López, reported that the arrival of sargassum on the Caribbean coasts is becoming increasingly frequent.
Reyes López announced that in the coming days they will be contacting educational institutions in the public and private sectors, including universities and higher education institutes, which have been studying the sargassum phenomenon and its environmental and socioeconomic impact for some time.
The first meeting of the Sargassum Control Cabinet was held in the Multipurpose Hall of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and was attended by David Llibre, president of Asonahores; Jimmy García Saviñón, president of the National Maritime Affairs Authority and Segundo Ventura García, deputy commander general of the Dominican Navy.
Also present were the vice ministers Domingo García, from the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development; Patricia Mejía and Carlos Peguero, from Tourism; and Milagros Decamps, from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
In addition, Mercedes Feliciano, from MEPYD; Rosalía Dubal, from CNCCMDL; Claudia Taboada, from MIREX; Natachú Domínguez, from MITUR; Anguie Lendor, from ASONAHORES and from the MMARN team, Hugo Abreu, Enrique Pugibet, Jonathan Delance and Chaymi Rodriguez.
In addition to the Ministers of Tourism and Environment, the Sargassum Control Cabinet is composed of the Ministers of Agriculture, Economy, Planning and Development, the Executive Vice President of the National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism (CNCCMDL), the Commander General of the Dominican Republic Navy, a representative of the Ministry of the Presidency, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a representative of the Association of Hotels and Tourism (Asonahores) and a representative of the National Maritime Affairs Authority.
