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At a beach near Algiers, brown algae native to the Pacific Ocean cover the golden sand,  posing a threat to ecosystems native to the area and their stench repelling swimmers at the peak of summer.Following a recent government call to help clear beaches swarmed by the seaweed species known scientifically as Rugulopteryx okamurae, several volunteers and charities have stepped in.”When it washes up, we can’t swim,” said Salim Hemmedi, a 43-year-old vacationer at a beach in Sidi Fredj, where volunteers raked up heaps of the plant.”We hope the situation will improve so that we can enjoy ourselves… and that children can swim in peace.”The alga originates from temperate waters around Japan and the Korean peninsula in the northwest Pacific Ocean.It was first spotted in Algeria in late 2023, according to Lamia Bahbah, a lecturer and researcher at the National School of Marine Sciences and Coastal Planning.And lately, some have noted that it has been increasingly washed ashore.Youcef Segni, a marine engineer and biologist, said the algae proliferated at a significantly higher rate than in 2023 and 2024.”They invade the habitats of other algae in the seabed, which leads to the disappearance of some species,” he said, adding that it can also displace some native fish.- Fast reproduction -In France, Spain and Portugal, the Rugulopteryx okamurae species has also been observed.Earlier this year, Spanish football club Real Betis introduced kits repurposed from the seaweed to raise awareness about the issue.A 2023 study by the Marine Drugs journal said the alga’s invasive character led to “a replacement of the native biota and an occupancy rate that reached almost 100 percent in some locations” in Portugal.In Algeria, the plant has been spotted in at least three of the country’s 14 coastal provinces, including the capital where 16 beaches are affected, authorities said.”Are the waters suitable for swimming? Yes,” said Environment Minister Nadjiba Djilali during the cleanup campaign, adding there were no records of the plant causing allergies.Researcher Bahbah said stopping its proliferation was “unfortunately impossible at this stage”.She said the plant reproduces at a high rate, both sexually and asexually.The species can reproduce through fragmentation, meaning new individual algae can develop from fragmented pieces of other Rugulopteryx okamurae algae.The algae spread mainly by clinging to the hulls of boats, and the Mediterranean’s moderate temperature favours the seaweed’s fast reproduction.”We are going to fight it,” said Fella Zaboudj, a state engineer in marine sciences, adding that researchers were monitoring its spread, development and evolution.Zaboudj said research was also under way to determine whether the algae could be repurposed as fertiliser.

Most stock markets bounced on Monday as hopes for US interest rate cuts rose following a sharp slowdown in jobs growth that raised concerns about the world’s top economy.The broad gains followed a sell-off on Wall Street Friday in reaction to the weak jobs data and news that dozens of countries would be hit with …

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A Malaysian hotel tycoon who helped bring Formula One to Singapore pleaded guilty Monday to abetting the obstruction of justice, in a rare corruption case in the city-state that saw a former transport minister jailed last year.Singapore-based billionaire Ong Beng Seng, 79, was charged in October last year with helping former transport minister S. Iswaran …

Tycoon who brought F1 to Singapore pleads guilty in graft case Read More »

Italy’s competition watchdog said Monday it has fined the company responsible for Shein’s websites in Europe one million euros ($1.15 million) for false and confusing claims about the e-commerce giant’s efforts to be environmentally “green”.The AGCM watchdog accuses the China-founded fast-fashion colossal of having “adopted a misleading communication strategy regarding the characteristics and environmental impact …

Italy fines fast-fashion giant Shein for ‘green’ claims Read More »