Cancun, Quintana Roo (July 15th, 2023).- The Ocean Future Society organization, chaired by Jean-Michel Cousteau, sent a letter to the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to Sedena and Semarnat, in which he denounced the effects on the Chac estuary, a tributary of the Bacalar lagoon, for the work on the Mayan Train in the southern zone of Quintana Roo.
“Because according to those in charge of the Mayan Train works ‘it was a mistake by the workers.’ This seems to have been stopped, for the moment, thanks to the brave and determined denunciations of the inhabitants of the region and the activists, who continue to try to stop the ecocide that prevails in the construction of this train, although the train has been severely sectioned. lagoon system,” he said. It is, he lamented, poorly planned processes that cannot be imposed on the majority if it is for the benefit of a minority, which holds economic power.
In addition to the damage generated between Bacalar and the other lagoons, Chile Verde and Laguna Guerrero, where clearing continues for the benefit of cattle ranches. All of this has seriously affected the vital area of mangroves and estuaries, an essential source of life and protection against hurricanes.
Potential damage warned since March this year
Just in March of this same year, this same foundation sent another letter to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, warning about the potential damage to the second largest barrier reef in the world off the coast of Quintana Roo due to the landing of ballast for the Train Maya on the beaches of Puerto Morelos, 20 minutes from Cancun.“The danger to the environment continues since his administration will import 200,000 tons of basalt per month from Cuba, which will arrive in Puerto Morelos. We have been notified that the first freighter, the Melody, has arrived in Puerto Morelos”, reads the text signed by the son of the famous underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau.
The letter warns that Puerto Morelos does not have sufficient depth for the disembarkation of large volumes of cargo, so the transfer of the stone to the mainland will be carried out with barges.” Unfortunately, with such a large cargo volume for 10 months, the chances of accidents are numerous, so the danger to the beautiful coral reefs of Puerto Morelos is enormous,” the letter added. In the end, this landing was canceled due to the technical difficulties involved and the high costs.
Source: El Economista
