In an interview, the Secretary of the Environment, Alicia Bárcena, told the media that the fourth dock project in Cozumel, “did not have all the elements that were required for a true manifestation of environmental impact.”
“Very important aspects had really been considered as the damage that could be caused to the reef and the flora and the fauna of the place, therefore we proceed that the cancellation was given since the proponents undergo a new manifestation of environmental impact if they wish, but the truth is that the fourth spring made no sense in that place they had chosen,” he said.
For years, the citizen group Isla Cozumel has warned that the fourth dock Villa Blanca would affect, one of the few public accesses to the beach and the only reef outside the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, where many families carry out productive activities. Therefore, the group began a fight to demand the cancellation of the project.
Last March, a judge discarded the amparo that had managed to stop the construction of the work for three years, which intensified the protests of citizens, environmentalists and civil organizations in sea and land.
Despite social rejection, on June 10, the company Muelles del Caribe announced the beginning of the works of the Cozumel Terminal. However, in Julio he reported that the construction of the fourth cruise spring would temporarily suspend.
Finally a few days ago, the Semarnat revoked the resolution in environmental impact granted in December 2021 and announced that a new evaluation will be carried out, this time prioritizing the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.
