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The beginning of the week was marked by a new arrival of sargassum on several beaches in Saint Barthélemy, particularly those in Saint Jean. These relatively early strandings required the intervention of the company that won the contract to collect the invasive seaweed. A few days earlier, on January 28, the seven members of the executive council unanimously authorized the president of the Collectivité to sign a project management contract for the design and installation of anti-Sargassum barriers.
The contract will be awarded to Egis Water and Maritime, which was preferred over Corinthe Ingénierie. The executive council's deliberations, published on February 2 on the Collectivité's website, specify that the contract is worth €419,700.
In 2026, the Collectivité's goal is to install a first semi-deflecting barrier in Marigot. "Because we already have a current study," explains territorial councilor Rudi Laplace, chairman of the environment committee. The other dams are to be installed at Grand-Cul-de-Sac, Petit-Cul-de-Sac, and Anse des Cayes. But that will be for later. "We also have current studies, but they were done for another project, so they need to be readjusted," Rudi Laplace points out.
The elected official explains, as he did at the territorial council meeting on October 23, 2025, that the deployment of barriers at the three other sites will take place within two years. "The goal is that in two years, the northern part of the island will be protected from sargassum with barriers that are as effective as possible," he adds. The goal is to keep as much sargassum as possible at sea for harvesting." This would allow it to be released further out to sea. Any sargassum that is not "blocked" will wash up on the beaches. But, the elected official hopes, in smaller quantities. Collection will therefore remain inevitable.
Last week, some of the sargassum that had been stored for many months at a site in Saint-Jean was collected before being transported by barge to Saint-Martin.
