The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) closed two sites in Yucatan for environmental damage.
One in Tekax, where an illegal change in land use was detected in the Puuc Biocultural Reserve, and another in Sisal, where an area of more than 10,400 square meters of buttonwood mangrove (Conocarpus erectus) was illegally cut down. In both cases, the agency secured machinery and had the support of various federal institutions to stop the ecological damage.
In Tekax, Profepa inspected the Puuc Biocultural Reserve and confirmed the partial and total elimination of natural vegetation in at least two points. As a result, they closed the affected lands and seized heavy machinery used in the devastation. This ecosystem is home to a rich biodiversity, and its alteration represents serious damage to the conservation of flora and fauna in the area.
The Sisal case has generated outrage among residents, who since February 25 have reported the presence of machinery such as chainsaws, machetes and axes in the mangrove area.
There are unofficial versions that indicate that the removal of the mangrove could be linked to real estate development plans, while another version indicates that it was the residents themselves who were trying to clear land to establish housing. Despite the fact that Profepa placed seals of closure, on February 27 residents reported that the destruction continued, and even detected the use of heavy machinery.
Given the lack of respect for the closure and the persistence of illegal logging, on March 2, Profepa went to Sisal in coordination with the Navy (Semar), the National Guard, and the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) to stop the removal of the mangrove in the federal zone.
The agency confirmed that, after its initial inspection, the destruction of more than one hectare of buttonwood mangrove had been documented, a species protected by NOM-059 Semarnat-2010 due to its ecological importance in protecting the coast and the biodiversity of wetlands.
Both cases put the environmental impact of urban growth in Yucatan at the center of the discussion, where illegal logging, the filling of wetlands, and the privatization of natural areas have been recurring problems.
Profepa has reiterated its commitment to monitor and sanction any environmental damage in the state, but the challenge lies in ensuring that the closure seals are respected and that those responsible are brought to environmental justice.
TYT Newsroom
