Legislator requests to temporarily restrict tourist access to the coral reefs of the bays of Santa Cruz and La Entrega.
Deputy Horacio Sosa Villavicencio requested the Santa María Huatulco City Council to temporarily restrict tourist access to the coral reefs of the bays of Santa Cruz and La Entrega, as well as the surrounding areas, coordinating to do so with the appropriate civil and military authorities, with the purpose of safeguarding the integrity of the reefs, allowing their recovery and avoiding an environmental catastrophe.
The proposal with point of agreement presented to the 65th legislature, indicates that the University of the Sea released a statement on July 5 in which it stated that it had made a tour of the reefs of the Bay of Santa Cruz and the Bay of La Entrega .
In the case of the latter, it detected that at a depth of less than six meters the reef is completely bleached, but it also identified the presence of coral polyps covering the skeletons, “which could generate a recovery of these organisms if adverse conditions will change”.
He adds that he also stated that he found the presence of coral colonies fluorescent in shades of pink, purple, yellow and pale green, indicative of the production of the natural blocker that protects corals from ultraviolet rays, and a considerable decrease in the diversity of organisms that live on the reef; that is, the number and type of fish, starfish, sea urchins and other organisms that are part of that ecosystem.
He states that the foregoing indicates that the reef is under too much stress and if the adverse conditions continue it could die, states the University of the Sea, for which it recommends “reducing the number of tourists that move over the reef”, which will allow ” reduce the stress of the corals and contribute to a natural recovery”. The document issued by the Universidad del Mar coincides with that of the UNAM, released on August 28, in which the use of sunscreen damages corals.
He emphasizes that an approach of the Universidad del Mar, which they consider central to this proposition, is that the corals of these reefs are alive and have the possibility of recovering, but for this it is necessary to change the adverse conditions that are present at this time.
“We consider it urgent that the administrative authorities take the necessary measures to avoid in Oaxaca what in the rest of Mexico is already considered a catastrophe by UNAM specialists, the massive death of corals.”
Source: NVI Noticias
