Save Mexico's Coral Reefs!

On March 23, to a packed house in the Librería Mar Adentro in Veracruz, we launched our documentary short Battle for the Reefs of Veracruz, which explores efforts to protect the Veracruz Reef System National Park.

The Veracruz reefs are threatened by the expansion of the Port of Veracruz, which those promoting the project claim to be necessary, even beneficial, because it will provide temporary jobs and economic development in the region.

The question they’re failing to address is, development at what cost?

That question is answered in the documentary, which explores the various ways the port project would harm the protected coral ecosystem, the culture of the coastal communities that depend on it for food and livelihood, and a planet that needs its corals to help fight climate change. 

The documentary also takes a look at the many national and international laws that Mexico violated when it approved the port’s expansion.

In approving the project—which infringed upon the boundaries of the natural protected area (boundaries that the government later changed)—Mexico failed to meet its obligation to conserve the natural characteristics of its ecosystems for future generations.

The government also violated its international obligations under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty for the protection of wetlands that lists the Veracruz reef system as a Wetland of International Importance.

As long the Mexico government and the port’s supporters continue to boast economic development over the protection of the nation’s natural heritage, we will continue our efforts to protect the coral reefs of Veracruz—for the many creatures that call them home, for the people that depend on them, and for the planet that sustains life for us all.

We’re proud of our role in producing this documentary—alongside our partners at Espora Productions, CEMDA, Greenpeace Mexico, and Dorado Buceo—and we hope you enjoy it.

Links:

• Watch the documentary (in Spanish) here