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Lasciviously stretched out on a deckchair by the pool, a guest of the Le Manapany hotel lets herself be lulled by the sun's rays. There's no one around her, until a couple arrive and settle down on two deckchairs with their backs to the beach. It's just another way to avoid seeing the pile of sargassum covering the sand. Nor the dozens of slicks that, still in the water, are slowly making their way towards the coast, only to wash ashore. Since the beginning of June, Anse des Cayes has been one of the areas most affected by the massive arrival of brown algae. The resources deployed by the local authorities have not been sufficient to stem the tide. Consequently, in view of the scale of the disaster, which cannot be resolved immediately, the management of Le Manapany has decided to bring forward its annual closure. The hotel will end its season on Wednesday July 30, twelve days earlier than planned.
An "extremely difficult" situation
"This early closure follows massive and continuous arrivals of sargassum for two months now, affecting our beach at Anse des Cayes, as well as a very large part of Saint-Barthélemy's coastline," says general manager Kader Bendjeddah. In spite of the efforts made by the Collectivité, following a meeting requested by the hoteliers to ask for the implementation of immediate collection actions as well as concrete measures to contain the next arrivals of sewage.The meeting was attended by Collectivité President Xavier Lédée and Prefect Cyrille Le Vély, but the situation remains extremely difficult. "
Indeed, while one man is raking the stretch of beach opposite the hotel, another is at the controls of a small digger at the other end of the cove. The machine's caterpillar tracks buried in a carpet of sargassum, he strives to pick up the mounds of seaweed that clump together in the cove. At the same time, drivers arrive at the wheel of their pickup trucks, park and then take over the controls of another digger to load sargassum into the skip. A seemingly endless merry-go-round. As Kader Bendjeddah confirms. Collection operations, initiated by the Collectivité, have been underway for the past ten days, with the intervention of a tractor and a dedicated team on our beach," explains the manager. Despite this, sargassum continues to invade our shores. It generates strong odors and makes working and reception conditions particularly precarious and trying. "
"Delayed awareness" on the part of the Collectivité
Since June 23, Le Manapany's management has been forced to take drastic measures. These measures have had an impact on the hotel's economic performance. All beach-side rooms have been closed, access to the beach has been closed "for health and safety reasons", and the beachside restaurant service has been suspended. "These conditions also led to numerous cancellations and postponements of stays by our customers, who were understandably disappointed by circumstances beyond our control," notes Kader Bendjeddah.
The establishment's owner, Anne Jousse, who was present alongside her general manager, considers the Collectivité's awareness of the problem to be "late". The problem has existed for years, and it's not unique to Saint-Barthélemy," says Anne Jousse. But for as long as it's been going on, a less belated reaction would have avoided the current setbacks. An early closure not only means fewer jobs, but also a negative image for the island. "
Indeed, for several weeks now, many would-be visitors have been questioning the point of coming to Saint-Barthélemy under such conditions. Even for those who have booked in establishments not directly affected by the presence of sargassum. "Are there any beaches left that we can go to? "asks a future arrival on the JSB message board. This is not an isolated concern.
For Manapany, the closure will take place on Wednesday July 30. At 11 a.m., just after breakfast service. It will reopen its doors to customers on October 29. The hope is that by 2026, solutions will have been found to the problem of sargassum in the bay of Anse des Cayes.
