Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Mexico has declared sargassum from the Caribbean a "fishery resource with development potential," allowing its collection in the open sea and opening the door to industrial projects to process the seaweed under permits and technical oversight.
The Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development published the agreement updating the National Fisheries Charter, which sets a precautionary annual harvest limit of up to 945,000 tons.
It lists potential uses of sargassum as raw material, including animal feed, fertilizers, biofuels, bioplastics, bioremediation and water treatment, textile fibers and dyes, and biomaterials for bricks, among others.
The document notes that sargassum "rafts" in the open sea support a unique marine ecosystem that provides food and shelter for species -- including mahi-mahi, tuna and jack -- and calls for collection methods that minimize harm to marine life, along with continuous scientific monitoring for sustainable management.
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