Cozumel’s 4th Cruise Pier: More Harm Than Good?

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The proposed fourth cruise ship pier in Cozumel may create more issues than it resolves, according to Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, head of Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). The official suggested that relocating the project elsewhere in the country could be a preferable alternative.

Environmental Concerns and Allegations of Misinformation

Bárcena Ibarra stated that critical aspects of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) were inadequately addressed, raising doubts about its viability.

“Many factors were not sufficiently considered in the Environmental Impact Assessment. It appears the fourth pier presents more problems than solutions,” she said during a recent visit to Quintana Roo alongside Governor Mara Lezama.

The EIA for the project was approved between 2021 and 2022, but Bárcena Ibarra noted that key details may have been overlooked or misrepresented. Semarnat’s Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk is now reviewing the authorization after environmental activists accused Muelles del Caribe, the company behind the project, of submitting incomplete or falsified data.

Among the alleged omissions was the failure to disclose the presence of a coral reef in the construction zone, which could suffer significant marine ecosystem damage.

“I cannot yet specify what legal actions we will take, but I can confirm we are examining all evidence provided by citizens,” Bárcena Ibarra added.

When asked whether Semarnat could revoke the pier’s environmental authorization entirely, she responded affirmatively.

Scientific Study to Challenge Project’s Validity

Adrián Villegas, an oceanographer and member of the Cozumel Island Citizen Collective, revealed that a technical study is nearing completion. The findings aim to prove inaccuracies in the approved EIA, particularly regarding the project’s true impact on the Villa Blanca coral reef.

This reef serves as a genetic resource reservoir and connects to the protected Cozumel Reefs National Park.

“We will demonstrate that the promoter is at fault for providing false biological characterization data—specifically, misrepresenting the richness of flora and fauna in the construction area and its surrounding zone,” Villegas stated.

The collective’s findings could strengthen the case against the project, potentially halting its development over environmental violations.