The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa) fined 26 industrial pig farms in the Yucatan Peninsula for violating environmental laws.
This was in response to a formal request from the Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace Mexico regarding the pollution generated by this activity.
A statement indicates that environmental groups on the Peninsula asked the government to accept the request of 21 Mayan communities demanding a moratorium on all approvals of new industrial pig farms in the states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo.
Now Profepa has issued sanctions to all inspected facilities and the agency stated that “they will continue to address the problems of the development of pig farms in the Yucatan Peninsula.”
“Mexico should have acted sooner, but I am relieved that measures are being implemented in these horrible swine facilities”.
This was noted by Hannah Connor, deputy director of environmental health at Greenpeace’s Center for Biological Diversity.
They seek to solve the problems of air and water quality, biodiversity, and human health, although Greenpeace indicates that officials have not yet responded to their request.
“I am hopeful that the environmental authorities will finally consult the indigenous communities and that the moratorium that the Mayan peoples have requested will be issued.”
Compliance actions were taken by Profepa, the National Water Commission, and the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources of the federal government (Semarnat).
So far there are more than 200 registered farms and according to Greenpeace, the greatest risk of these farms is in the Cenotes Ring Geohydrological Reserve. The Mayan jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula provides critical habitat for countless species, such as endangered spider monkeys and jaguars, as well as fungi and microorganisms, and also provides plant and animal resources for food and medicine.
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