The south and west coast beach cleanup has begun.
It started this morning on Dover Beach, Christ Church, following a brief delay for stone posts to be knocked down in order for the machine to access the beach.
The machine is the self-propelled beach cleaner Cherrington 5500 which will remove sargassum and debris while agitating the sand to mix in the ash and return the sand to its former appearance.
Minister of Maritime Affairs Kirk Humphrey said the cleanup would move westward and hopefully reach Brownes Beach by midweek. He said the focus was not on the East coast for now, but manual labour would be used there if necessary.
Humphrey said the reefs were also a concern and exploratory dives were scheduled this week.
The pristine white sand on Barbados’ beaches turned grey after La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines dumped ash across the island on April 9.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs coordinated the effort, in collaboration with the National Conservation Commission and the Barbados Sea Turtle Project. (CA)
