Navy Reviews Dredging Plans for Zaragoza Channel in Quintana Roo

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — The Mexican Navy (Semar) has announced that while there is interest in continuing dredging work in the Zaragoza Channel, it has not yet been determined whether the project will proceed. This decision depends on what is decided at the central level once the analysis and feasibility phase is completed.

Rear Admiral Marco Antonio Muñoz Hernández, Commander of the XI Naval Zone, confirmed that for now, they are working on reviewing and updating the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) in order to be prepared in case it is approved to proceed and then define the budget that would be allocated to these tasks.

“The review of the Environmental Impact Statement is still in process so that in case it is decided to start the work, we comply with regulations, both in terms of timing and the machinery to be used, but it is within the plans to at least carry out this type of administrative work and if the Navy is capable of doing the dredging, it will be done because there is the budget; the idea is to be ready so that when it is decided at the central level to start, everything is in order. The Navy is responsible for the MIA as well as the dredging issue,” said Muñoz Hernández.

Although he clarified that they do have sufficient resources to resume dredging actions, he specified that at this time, they do not have the amount that would be allocated to finally make the Channel a passage for vessels to boost activity in Chetumal Bay and the southern zone.

He emphasized that they also cannot specify when the work would resume, but indicated that while this is being finalized, they continue to evaluate new technologies and options to continue dredging and reach the depth needed for vessel crossing.

“I don’t know when we could start with the physical work, but at least what falls to us as a naval zone we are doing, both with the MIA and the dredging techniques, which had been initially proposed in the environmental statement, because as far as I understand the techniques that used explosives would no longer be used and what will be done is with a rotary hammer by percussion, to reduce the environmental impact in the area,” he added.

The dredging of the Zaragoza Channel began in 2019 and the current administration decided to suspend these actions due to the results of the bathymetry study that indicated possible damage to the reef zone located within the reserve of the Xcalak marine park, which is considered a protected natural area, and that was the cause that led to the cancellation of the project in 2023.