Save Mexico's Coral Reefs!

The Veracruz Reef holds great significance for local habitants and the country’s marine environments. Serving as a protective barrier against storms and hurricanes, it is also a vital source of income for around 15,000 people engaged in fishing and aquatic tourism. 

In 2016, residents of Veracruz filed a lawsuit to safeguard their human right to a healthy environment. The basis for the lawsuit was the fragmented environmental impact assessment of the Veracruz port expansion, which hindered their understanding of the actual and final impacts on the Veracruz Reef. AIDA provided legal support by submitting an amicus brief to the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice, offering additional information and perspectives to aid an informed decision. 

In February 2022, the Court unanimously declared the environmental permits for the project as illegal. The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources was then tasked with reassessing all aspects of the port expansion, using the best available scientific information to identify the real impacts on the Veracruz Reef. 

However, in December 2022, the environmental authority authorized the expansion of the Veracruz port, disregarding the criteria set by the Supreme Court. More concerning was the complete disregard for the opportunity of public participation provided by the environmental legislation itself. 

In response, AIDA and partners are actively engaging in media advocacy and academic discussions to inform decision-makers, particularly the District Court responsible for ensuring compliance with the ruling. We are emphasizing the pivotal role these decision-makers play in transforming social and environmental realities. AIDA is also advocating for the participation of the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty that safeguards wetlands, as an expert witness and observer in the ongoing judicial proceedings. 

In addition to our work in Veracruz, AIDA is also taking action to protect the Mesoamerican Reef -the most significant coral reef barrier in the western hemisphere thatsupports a vibrant marine ecosystem and species of great commercial value, such as the Pink Snail (Lobatus Gigas). Nearly two million people directly depend on the resources extracted from the reef. However, the application of environmental legislation and existing policies has been insufficient in ensuring the protection of the Pink Snail. 

To address these issues, particularly in Mexico, AIDA submitted a citizen petition to the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. This international authority, established within the trade agreement between Mexico, the United States, and Canada, seeks a response from the Mexican government regarding the actions taken (or not taken) to fulfill its obligations. These obligations include issuing fishing regulations, generating and systematizing scientific information for evaluating queen conch stocks, conducting inspection and surveillance, and creating adaptation plans for flagship species and their habitats, with a focus on climate change. 

AIDA will continue to provide technical support to partners and decision makers, to ensure the advancement of the protection of these two key reef systems.  

Links:

• AIDA

The Mesoamerican Reef 

The Mesoamerican Reef, which is the most significant coral reef barrier in the western hemisphere and extends over 1,000 kilometers, spans along Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Today, the uncontrolled coastal development, anthropogenic interventions, and degradation of ecosystems over wide extensions of these coasts are among the greatest threats to this region. 

To address these issues (particularly in Mexico), AIDA sent a statement to the United States Trade Officer for the Environment and Natural Resources, informing them that a coalition of NGOs and communities are preparing and submitting a citizen petition to the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation–an international authority created within the trade agreement between Mexico, the United States, and Canada–to obtain a response from the Mexican government on the actions it is taking (or failing to take) to comply with its obligations to generate public policies that promote much-needed adaptation.   

Cabo Pulmo 

At the end of February 2023, AIDA participated in the strategic planning of the Cabo Pulmo Vivo Coalition, a group of civil society organizations and communities concerned about the protection of the Cabo Pulmo coral reef in Mexico’s La Paz, Baja California Sur. In this event, AIDA presented its experience coordinating and participating in various coalitions in the hemisphere.  

Furthermore, despite the existence of a Special Climate Change Program in Mexico, with strategies and actions for communities and ecosystems to adapt to changing climate conditions, these lines of action have not yet been implemented in marine ecosystems. For instance, local governments are obliged to create and publish climate change adaptation plans for the fishing sector, which are long overdue.   

AIDA is crafting a strategy with academics, communities, and other NGOs to advocate for local government in Baja California Sur to raise awareness and design an adaptation plan for climate change focused on the fishing communities in Cabo Pulmo, one of the most productive regions in the Sea of Cortez and one of the best-managed protected areas in Mexico. 

Veracruz 

AIDA is advising the Commission on Natural Protected Areas to support the listing of the Veracruz Reef System National Park in the Montreux Record in order to receive technical and financial assistance for its restoration. This is a mechanism of the Ramsar Convention–an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources–with which AIDA has a long and successful history. 

Additionally, AIDA is also participating in the creation of the Veracruz Reef Corridor Network, together with civil society organizations, academics, and communities in the Gulf of Mexico. Our proposal is to promote communications and actions that protect the bio cultural heritage around the reef. 

Links:

• https://aida-americas.org/es/prensa/suprema-corte-de-justicia-ordena-proteger-los-arrecifes-y-humedales-veracruzanos