From Alejandro Arenas Martinez,
President, State Committee for Marine Turtles of Quintana Roo
Again outside interests are undermining sea turtles and their conservation at the Sea Turtle Sanctuary of Xcacel-Xcacelito in Quintana Roo, which is considered by experts, as the most important nesting area for loggerhead and green turtles in Mexico.
A researcher from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who is also a member of the Marine Turtle Specialists Group, is involved in the environmental impact study (EIS) for the Punta Careyes project to be developed in the Sanctuary.
In the public consultation August 30, 2009 in Tulum, Quintana Roo, some members of the State Committee for Marine Turtles of Quintana Roo (CETMQROO), noted that the author of the sea turtle study: a) did not consider the changes in the turtle’s nesting in time/ space, where development would affect the Sanctuary, b) interviews with several turtle researchers were falsified to provide biased information in the EIS, and c) the cultural and social value of the site was not addressed.
For a decade the local communities have been working with the government to expand the sanctuary to 164 terrestrial hectares to safeguard the ecological and social integrity of the entire site. Also the community has also been working to get Xcacel included in the National System of Protected Natural Areas since Xcacelito Xcacel is part of the natural heritage of Mexico.
We ask for your valuable support by going to the website: http://xcacel.org/english/ to sign the protest letter and please forward to your acquaintances. THANK YOU!
Currently, the turtle group of Quintana Roo is working on the technical aspects of the Environment Impact Study, but there is much pressure on the environmental authorities to authorize this project in the sanctuary. The area is also a Ramsar site because of its ecological value as a wetland. NGOs and state environmental groups have given their full support to prevent this outrage, but we need all the help possible.
Thank you for your interest in preventing another attempt to take from the turtles one of the few remaining nesting beaches.
Sincerely,
Alejandro Arenas Martinez