Yucatán has lost 8% of its mangroves: Alicia Bárcena says the Federal Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the devastation

During her visit to the Chuburná Puerto police station, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, head of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), was questioned about the devastation of the mangroves in Sisal, in the municipality of Hunucmá, where the police force was used in recent days, although to date there are no sanctions, according to law, for alleged environmental criminals.During the first day of work in Yucatán, of a tour that will last from March 13 to 16, she said in an interview that she is very surprised by what happened there, where 22,000 square meters of mangroves were devastated, which constitutes a federal crime.For that reason, he added, he requested intervention from the Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

The Attorney General’s Office, in turn, requested support from the state government, which made 300 agents available.“The destruction of mangroves is a federal crime, regardless of who owns the land, and in this case, it’s federal land. That’s why we believe it’s very important to stop it.



Alicia Bárcena, head of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, greets Yucatecan Governor Joaquín Díaz upon his arrival in Mérida on March 13.“Now, for a housing solution, the governor has made a great effort with the mayor of Hunucmá to find land where the mangroves won’t be damaged and where they can provide the houses the fishermen need, which is ultimately what we’re seeking.”When asked if the individuals behind this illegal logging, which is damaging flora and fauna, have been identified, he responded that the corresponding investigations are being carried out so that those responsible can be determined in due course:“It’s difficult.

They brought in chainsaws, machinery, everything. Stopping them (the logging) has been difficult, but the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has helped us halt the devastation. Imagine what it costs to plant mangroves and destroy them in a minute—that’s outrageous,” he said.

He also stated that arrest warrants will be issued. He also announced that an estimate is being made to determine how much damage the Yucatecan mangroves have suffered.“We have one million hectares of standing mangroves in the country, and 15% of the country’s mangroves have been lost, and in Yucatán, the loss is approximately 8%.

”The federal official also failed to mention the alleged destruction of mangroves in Dzemul and damage to the pre-Hispanic salt mine of Xtampú, which farmers recently reported.In the case of Sisal, he mentioned that the goal is to reforest the damage suffered and that caused the problems already known to society at large. It could even be part of the recently inaugurated “Mangrove Reforestation Program of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

”Regarding the damage caused by the existing housing developments on the coast, he mentioned that the goal is precisely to prevent real estate developments facing the sea. “These are beaches that belong to the people, and President Sheinbaum has instructed us to restore the beaches for the public, and that is what we will do.”TYT NewsroomThe post Yucatán has lost 8% of its mangroves: Alicia Bárcena says the Federal Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the devastation first appeared on The Yucatan Times.

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