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Date Published: 31/07/2025

Asian seaweed invades Cádiz and Gibraltar beaches as over 10,000 kilos removed in just two days

Teams have been busy trying to clear beaches of an invasive species of algae

An aggressive invasion of Rugulopteryx okamurae seaweed, an invasive species known to the Spanish as ‘Asian seaweed’, is once again disrupting the Cádiz coastline, with La Línea de la Concepción Town Council and Gibraltar authorities jointly reporting the removal of more than 10,000 kilos in just two days.

According to a statement from La Línea Town Hall, the bulk of the seaweed in the municipality has so far been cleared from Poniente beach, though the situation has now worsened across the Levante coast. Beaches such as Levante, Sobrevela, Torre Nueva, Santa Clara and Alcaidesa are also reporting dense accumulations of the seaweed, signalling that the entire local coastline is now under threat from this fast-spreading species.

In Gibraltar, Western beach and Sandy Bay have also come under mounds of the seaweed. It is an issue for beachgoers on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar, making swimming and sunbathing a nuisance in the height of the tourist season.

Despite the scale of the issue, municipal services remain hopeful. Beaches cleaners are working with the expectation that the coastline can be fully cleared within a couple of days. Meanwhile, regular cleaning services, both manual and mechanised, will continue, alongside routine rubbish collection.

In addition, authorities have issued a call for public cooperation. Beachgoers are urged not to occupy the shorefront early in the morning, as these are the areas most commonly affected and where machinery needs unobstructed access.

Images: Ayuntamiento de La Línea de la Concepción

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