The declaration of force majeure and extreme necessity due to the situation caused by the invasive exotic seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae, known as Asian seaweed, in the Strait of Gibraltar, has been met with great satisfaction by the affected municipalities. This measure, announced by the Junta de Andalucía, entails the exemption from the state tax on waste disposal in landfills, a significant cost for coastal towns.
“"The only economic aid we have is from the Diputación de Cádiz; the Junta's, although not economic, does save us a rather curious amount of money."
A municipal spokesperson from Tarifa expressed "tremendous joy" at this decision, which represents considerable savings for local coffers. Last year alone, the municipality spent over 100,000 euros on transporting seaweed to landfills. This exemption adds to the economic aid from the Diputación de Cádiz and is considered an "important step" after the approval of the biomass plan.
From Tarifa, the Ministry for Ecological Transition has been urged to allow the commercialization of these residues. This long-standing demand seeks additional economic "relief," as interested companies could undertake coastal cleanup tasks to use the seaweed in pharmaceutical products, shoe soles, ecological materials, or agricultural fertilizer. The presence of Asian seaweed has caused an "environmental catastrophe" on the coast, with over 11,000 tons collected in Tarifa during the 2024 summer season and more than 7,000 in the summer of 2025.
Meanwhile, a representative from the La Línea City Council highlighted that the Junta's measure originated from a request by its Beaches delegation to the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar. After consulting the Ministry of Finance, it was confirmed that the exemption would be possible with an environmental emergency declaration or an exceptional cause, which the Andalusian administration has now decreed. This decision "makes perfect sense," as it is illogical for local councils to bear the cleanup costs of an environmental crisis caused by an invasive species.
The seaweed, originating from the Pacific, was first detected in 2016 in the Strait of Gibraltar and has shown an "extraordinary colonization capacity," spreading rapidly. Its inclusion in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species in 2020 and its designation as a species of concern for the European Union in 2022 underscore the seriousness of the situation.
