Sargassum Management in the USVI

Sargassum Management in the USVI : Marlon Hibbert USVI COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

HISTORY ◦ Sargassum influxes have increased across the territory every year since 2011

◦ Sargassum Impacts are multifaceted=Ecosystem Health, Public Health, Economic Health ◦ Currently response is restricted to single agency involvement=DPNR ◦ Responses have been coordinated by private sector entities in hotspots on the major island of St Thomas and St Croix.

DPNR ROLES ◦ DPNR/CZM – issues a LOP valid for 6 months upon receipt of request from private sector entity. ◦ Includes special conditions related to use of mechanized equipment and consultation with Division of Fish and Wildlife. ◦ Consultation is in the form of a Guidance document which the entity must agree to and sign off on.

DFW’s MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ◦ Sargassum in the U.S. Virgin Islands: A Management Brief ◦ The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) recognizes that Sargassum spp. is a free-floating pelagic seaweed occurring historically in the Sargasso Sea and naturally reaching the shorelines of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) by way of currents and tides. The Division also recognizes that the unprecedented blooming of sargassum since 2011 has resulted in mass inundations of beaches and bays in the Territory with negative impacts on the USVI community, environment, fishery, and tourism industry. In understanding the importance of sargassum as essential habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife while considering the negative impacts of sargassum influxes in the USVI, DFW has created the attached brief to guide sustainable management of sargassum in the Territory by meeting the following objectives: ◦

To provide ecologically sound solutions for the collection, removal, and disposal of sargassum in the U.S. Virgin Islands;

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To train permit seekers and recipients in sargassum best practices in order to meet permit compliance;

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To present all stakeholders with site-specific guidance and relevant resources for the present and future management of sargassum in the Territory

I certify that I have read and understood this document. I certify that I will only work within the scope of my sargassum removal permit. I certify that I will practice the wildlife guidelines outlined in this document to protect the threatened, endangered, and indigenous species of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Provided To: __________________________________________ Date:_________________________ Applicant

Provided By: __________________________________________ Date: _________________________ DFW Representative

A Foundational Blueprint for the Development of a Comprehensive Pelagic Sargassum Management Plan for the United States Virgin Islands February 2023

Thank you for listening.