Tulum, Q.R. — Tulum Mayor Diego Castañón has met with Ricardo Monreal for a draft decree reform. The pair are working on reforming various areas of the General Law on National Properties and the General Law on Ecology to ensure free and open beach access.
Castañón met with the Federal Chamber Deputy Thursday regarding free and open access to beaches and natural protected areas. A decree based on the provisions of Articles 71, Section II and 73 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and by Articles 6, numeral 1, section I and 77 of the Regulations of the Chamber of Deputies, were submitted for consideration.
The General Laws have been amended regarding free and open access to beaches and protected natural areas in accordance, in part, with the following:
Mexico is a privileged nation due to its natural resources and its extensive coastline that covers more than 12,000 kilometers in length, providing the country with an incalculable ecological value that in many areas is protected through the figure of Protected Natural Areas made up in part of beaches, coastlines and areas adjacent to them.
This legal concept has been extremely effective in defending and protecting national assets, however, in recent years, some of these areas have abused environmental protection by denying access to beaches that should be public or establishing entry fees.
In practice, thousands of people, both national and foreign, face restrictions and fees that violate their constitutional rights to use and enjoy these spaces under the pretext of protecting spaces that, while subject to special conditions, do not fully demonstrate the relationship between the resources obtained through access fees and environmental preservation.
This trend, which has been replicated throughout the National Protected Areas that include coastal zones, has led to social exclusion affecting the most vulnerable sectors of the population.
This initiative aims to correct this operational distortion.
It proposes a reform to the General Law on National Assets and the General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection, with the aim of reinforcing the principle of free and open access to beaches, without arbitrary exceptions, even within Protected Natural Areas, by introducing the following elements:
A. Expressly prohibit the imposition of fees for simple access to maritime beaches.
B. Require authorities to guarantee at least one functional and safe public access per coastal section.
C. Ensure that all Protected Natural Areas have at least one free access day per week for the general public, giving preference to weekends and holidays.
The objective is for the principle of universal access to national assets to become a tangible reality, for environmental conservation measures not to become exclusionary barriers, and for the enjoyment of the country’s natural heritage not to be a privilege subject to payment, but a right accessible to all.
On Thursday, Mayor Castañón said “I am very pleased to join Dr. Ricardo Monreal A., President of the Political Coordination Board of the Chamber of Deputies, who will present an initiative that will transform the way we enjoy our beaches.
“If approved, each person will be entitled to one day of free access which can be on weekends or holidays, to beaches and natural areas. This means more opportunities to socialize, enjoy and remember that the sea and nature belongs to everyone. I thank our Governor Mara Lezama for supporting this effort that puts families first.”
