from todays news: Best article so far.
Protective measures are necessary
September 24, 2019
In
Cozumel
0
By Gabriel Aguilar
COZUMEL, September 23.- The most important reefs of Cozumel will be closed to all aquatic activities, as well as the emblematic “El Cielo” beach, as a precautionary measure of preservation, combined with being able to analyze water quality and coral reactions to the stress reduction If not closed, one could lose 1.5 billion pesos, with social, tourist, and economic impact on the destination.
On Monday, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) held a press conference headed by its local manager, Brenda Hernández Hernández, to inform citizens of the temporary closure of the “Palancar”, “Colombia” reefs, the beach (not reef) "El Cielo", until "Bosh" beach on the east coast, for a period of three months, beginning on October 7.
For the month of November, a reevaluation monitoring will be carried out in order to deliver scientific data to the Marine Park Advisory Council and based on this, determine the opening or other type of strategies such as a “today does not circulate” to vessels with permission, or give way to other strategies.
The reason for the closure is the white syndrome, a pathogen that kills corals, especially those known as “brain,” due to multifactorial causes, among these, they consider environmental stress at any time of the year, with damage to the reefs being detected. of Cozumel just in October 2018.
It was emphasized that water quality is a factor by which the presence of white syndrome could occur, and that water deterioration is caused by polluting factors, various chemical substances from different sources of origin.
From the presence of detergents in the water, Conanp, points out that all reefs exceed the limit, and have found five species of macroalgae, bioindicators of contamination due to nutrient increase.
This water condition, generates the appearance of marine organisms, considered as direct "competitors" of corals and end up killing them too.
From the impact of the white syndrome, he informed that in July 2018, there was already a presence throughout the Marine Park, affecting 27 species considered as important for the natural construction of the reef and that currently there is an impact of 50 percent of corals .
The intention is to reduce the stress load in these better preserved areas, because the amount of income to the entire reserve has been increasing.
It was evidenced that in 2017 the total number of 329 vehicles with 2 620 620 passengers entered the entire Marine Park. Only in 2018, the load rose to 547 vehicles with 3 thousand 44 people, meaning an increase of 40 percent in vehicles and 14 percent extra in visitors.
Of the “Palancar” reef, he explained that there were 78 boats in 2017, against 115 of the following year reflecting a 32 percent increase.
In the line of tourists there were 741 tourists in 2017 against 950 in 2018, that was a 25 percent variation upwards.
To all this it was exposed that the real load capacity established in 2017 for “Palancar” and “Colombia”, was 29 and 33 vehicles respectively, only that the following year increased to 42 in both reefs, causing “Palancar” to increase in it loads 144 percent, while in "Colombia" 127 percent.
Regarding the beach "El Cielo", in 2015 there were 9 boats, for 2018 there were 30 registered, representing 333 percent of extra cargo.
Regarding the impacts or direct contacts to the reef produced by incoming divers, Conanp deduced that 24 impacts are generated by four divers in 30 minutes, stating that the “Colombia” reef is exposed to 29 thousand 258 impacts in four hours, while In “Palancar”, 12,234 impacts are generated at the same time.
Brenda Hernández Hernández pointed out that the healthy reef generates an income of 5,493 million pesos annually, but if the necessary measures are not taken, the reef system is put at risk and there would be a reduction of 12 percent of tourists, whose absence would be equivalent to an economic loss of 1,500 million pesos a year.
He said that water quality sampling has been done, visit hotels near the Marine Park to learn about its sanitary discharge infrastructure.
He spoke of seeking rest in the best preserved areas of the cozumeleño reef, to ensure compliance with the conservation objectives and that the restricted areas will have supervision and surveillance actions, in addition to scientific monitoring.
They will have the support of the Secretariat of Martina and the Port Captaincy, to withdraw vessels that intend to enter the area and if they relapse they will be sanctioned.
The terrestrial surveillance routes to verify that no one is sneaking in will also be carried out with the Secretary of the Navy and / or National Guard.
From the entry of foreign vessels from Playa del Carmen and / or Cancun to these points, especially to “El Cielo” beach, he accepted that they are supposedly “due to ignorance”.
Only local tourism service providers claim that foreigners enter daily without fear of being sanctioned, ignoring the cause.
Hernández Hernández, acknowledged that Conanp does not carry out fixed surveillance to detect outsiders, but "the operations are now, and we are going."
He said that from January to date "they are going as six, seven, eight, (boats) sanctioned by the Captaincy of Port, and every time we leave we return about 20 to 30 boats."
Tags:
CozumelQuintana Roo
