Liepāja spends more as algae wash ashore in rising volumes

Liepāja has already removed about 11,000 cubic metres of seaweed from its Blue Flag beach this year, as algae continue to wash ashore in large quantities, Latvian Public Media’s LSM reported. The volume is roughly equal to what is usually removed during an entire season.

The seaweed has been collected three times this summer: at the end of June, in late July before the Summer Sound festival and again in early August. The municipality is allocating more funding for the work each year.

Some of the seaweed will be placed near the Southern Pier, while the rest will be taken to the outskirts of the city. Liepāja Municipal Administration representative Aigars Štāls said the algae are first pushed out of the water and piled up so that they can drain, reducing the amount that has to be transported.

The piles intensify the strong smell of the washed-up algae. One Liepāja resident told Latvian Radio that the smell did not bother him, although he thought tourists might prefer a clean, odour-free beach. Children visiting from Lithuania were seen walking along the shore with their noses covered.

The municipality is encouraging residents to use the algae as fertiliser. The number of agreements with private individuals doubled over two years, reaching 235 last year. Residents can also obtain permits to drive onto the beach and collect the seaweed themselves.

Local agricultural companies and farmers are also being approached about taking the algae for use on their fields. The increased amount of washed-up algae may be closely linked to the eutrophication of the sea, meaning that solutions for using it in composting and as fertiliser will have to continue to be explored.