"Nobody wants to take responsibility": Class action launched in the Antilles to defend sargassum victims
Interview : Earlier this week, a class action lawsuit was initiated in the West Indies to give voice to victims of sargassum seaweed. The two lawyers from Excell-Avocats, who initiated the initiative, spoke to Le Nouvel Obs about this action.
Interview by Isaure Dimanov
Massive stranding of brown algae, also known as sargassum, on the coast of Petit-Bourg in Guadeloupe, July 1, 2025. CARLA BERNHARDT / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
Martinique-based law firm Excell-Avocats launched a class action lawsuit this Monday against the public authorities' management of sargassum. The goal? To obtain compensation for Caribbean individuals and legal entities exposed to this brown algae, which washes up in large quantities on the coast and, once dried, releases hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas. This widespread pollution, accelerated by climate change, has been a regular occurrence in Martinique and Guadeloupe since 2011.
Although the State is already in its second national plan to combat sargassum, financed to the tune of 36 million euros, this policy remains insufficient in the eyes of the applicants who face significant health, environmental and economic impacts: respiratory and digestive problems...
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