Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Several construction projects were shut down and boat anchors raised after a federal coastal inspection. Personnel from the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) conducted simultaneous inspections.
The nationwide inspections were conducted in coastal ecosystems in 14 states by 151 personnel. According to Profepa, 50 inspection visits were carried out of which 37 correspond to works and activities in coastal ecosystems and 13 to occupations in Zofemat, the federal maritime beach zones.
“From October 27 to 31, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) carried out an inspection operation on environmental impact and land use change in coastal ecosystems.
“The objectives were to prevent, detect and sanction illegal activities that affect mangroves, wetlands, dunes and federal maritime-terrestrial zones,” they said in an official statement Friday.
As a result of these actions, 31 total or partial temporary closures were imposed on real estate projects, works, or activities that lacked the environmental authorization issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).
The operation involved 151 members of Profepa, National Guard, the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), State Police and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), who carried out joint inspection and surveillance actions.
The inspections were carried out in the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Guerrero, Michoacán, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatan.
Around the Yucatan Peninsula, three projects were closed in the state of Campeche, one in Veracruz and five in the state of Yucatan. In Quintana Roo, boat owners were asked to raise their anchors after inspectors found them lowered in seagrass areas.
“In Campeche, within the Laguna de Términos Flora and Fauna Protection Area, three construction projects were shut down for filling in mangrove areas and building platforms on land reclaimed from the sea.
“In Quintana Roo, inspections and surveillance tours were carried out in coordination with the Conanp, on the West Coast of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, where vessels were asked to raise anchors in areas of seagrass, prohibited for this activity.
“In Veracruz, a restaurant located in Mandinga, municipality of Alvarado, was temporarily shut down for construction work on the coastal area with mangroves and wetlands without authorization from Semarnat.”
In Yucatán, six inspections were carried out in Chicxulub Puerto, Progreso and San Crisanto, imposing five closures on real estate projects that carried out land use change activities and affected dunes and coastal scrubland inside and outside the Ría Celestún Protected Natural Area.
Coastal ecosystems are vital for their ability to protect coastlines, regulate climate, and support a wide range of biodiversity and economic activity. They provide essential services such as protection from storms and floods (through reefs, mangroves, and dunes), habitat for fisheries, and carbon storage, as well as resources like water and raw materials. Their conservation is crucial for the health of the planet and the well-being of human communities.
With these operations, Profepa strengthens environmental monitoring in coastal ecosystems of the country to guarantee compliance with federal environmental legislation, prevent the degradation of mangroves, wetlands, jungles and dunes, and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources.
“We will continue working to monitor and protect coastal ecosystems and all the life within them, as well as to ensure compliance with environmental regulations,” stated Attorney General Mariana Boy.
