On Aguada Island, Campeche, the Punta del Tigre Fishing Refuge Zone Management Committee warned that “hydrocarbon contamination forces us to allocate time and resources to the constant cleaning of boats and nets stained with crude oil.”
Santiago Puch, member of the committee, recalled that in October 2024, an arrival of crude oil was recorded between “La Barrita” and the Fishing Shelter. Although authorities attributed it to natural splashes, fishermen maintain that it came from nearby operations and drastically reduced fishing activity.
“These spills have been reported since 2021 and there is no solution. In 2024, with evidence, they did not give it importance,” he said.
He Consultative Council of Tortugueros de Campechewhich groups nine camps, warned that the chapopote is visible both on beaches and on the shells of turtles, which puts conservation efforts at risk.
In turn, Laguna de Terminos Ecoguardians He denounced that stranded boats constantly pollute and accelerate coastal erosion, in addition to affecting mangroves.
From Veracruz, the cooperative fisherwomen “Las Bonitas” He stressed that they simultaneously face the effects of climate change and oil spills “without compensation or recognition.”
Given the gap between the institutional discourse and territorial reality, the groups demanded an urgent meeting with the Presidency, Semarnat and other key agencies to jointly build protection strategies for the Gulf of Mexico.
“The supervisory actions mentioned by ASEA are not reflected in reality. While the government talks about high standards, we continue to see spills, stranded vessels and pollution. We are not being consulted and we demand to participate in the solutions,” they stated.
The communities insisted that the Mexican government cannot attend international forums without real commitments to eradicate the impacts of the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico.
They recalled that more than 15 million people live in coastal states and deserve a new development model that protects their territories, their cultural identity and the continuity of their ways of life linked to the sea.
