Cozumel, Mexico — Residents have reported unauthorized construction of a wooden dock within Cozumel’s protected marine park, raising environmental concerns about potential permit violations.
Witnesses observed workers filling a rocky shoreline area with sand-like material near the El Presidente Hotel in southern Cozumel. The anonymous residents, who requested anonymity fearing retaliation, said they have no knowledge of the Cozumel municipal government issuing any permits for sand extraction or filling operations in the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat).
The property adjacent to the hotel already features various structures including a swimming pool, wooden deck, and sanitary facilities. While a palapa structure on site reportedly has municipal construction permits, residents expressed concern about the shoreline filling operation.
“No environmental impact permits are visible, which suggests there might not be any authorization for this filling or dock construction,” explained one concerned citizen.
Residents noted the newly placed sand has created what they described as “an artificial beach” in an area that was previously rocky shoreline. They emphasized that sand extraction permits have not been issued in Cozumel for years.
The wooden dock construction occurs within the boundaries of the Cozumel Reefs National Park, a protected natural area. Residents have documented the situation with photographs and requested inspections from multiple agencies including the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa), State Environmental Secretariat (Sema), National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Cnanp), and Cozumel municipal authorities to determine whether the project has proper authorization.
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