Declare Akumal Bay a Protected Area. Stop the destruction of an important sea turtle habitat
- by: Betsy Miller
- recipient: Semarnat Vida Silvestre, Mexican Government
Akumal, Mexico is an important sea turtle habitat. The bay is full of turtle grass supporting juvenile green turtles, the beaches are nesting sites for green and loggerhead turtles. There were over 800 nests in 2014. Now, the area is being destroyed. Everyday there are more and more local and outside groups, cooperatives, tour operators and businessmen that are taking advantage of this jewel. Building more hotels and adding hotel rooms to existing hotels, allowing more and more snorkel tours with people poking at the turtles and standing on the coral. The turtles are suffering and the bay is becoming sick, as it is contaminated with human waste. Without regulation the bay will be completely dead in a few short years.
Akumal Bay has reached the point of Critical Mass. The situation needs immediated attention as the growth is out of control and this fragile bay simply cannot sustain such abuse. Intervention is needed by the Mexican government by declaring Akumal Bay and it's beaches a Protected Area, a National Park or Nature Preserve. Controls need to be implemented through such government ruling with a strict program and usage fee structure which allows monies to be put into a fund to improve bay health. There should be licensing of snorkel tour operators, reguired education and legal limits for the commercial use of the bay. In addition, improvement of the inadequate sewage system serving the bay is also desperately needed.
I implore and encourage the Mexican goverment to take this matter in hand by declaring Akumal Bay as a National Park, Nature Preserve or Protected Area with a strict program and legal limits for the commercial use of the bay.
