Cozumel, Mexico — In less than 15 days since it was posted on Change.org, a petition to halt a new beach club project by cruise line Royal Caribbean in Cozumel has already gathered 2,755 signatures.
The petition, promoted by activist María González, warns about the environmental and social impact the construction of this new club would have.
According to the statement accompanying the petition, this project would first privatize the last public sandy area on the west side, known as Playa Mía, which could also affect local businesses.
“The profit from Royal Caribbean visitors stays in the hands of this company and also privatizes our beautiful beach, pollutes our island, and produces serious consequences for the environment,” it states.
The statement warns that the installation would allow this corporation to take advantage of natural resources without contributing benefits to the local economy, because the profits from its visitors would remain in the company’s hands.
It notes that privatization would mean Cozumel residents could not enjoy their own natural resources.
“The importance of keeping these areas accessible cannot be underestimated, as they are fundamental for the emotional and social well-being of the community, as well as for environmental conservation. The barrier imposed by a private beach club would also negatively impact conservation efforts, by limiting the participation of volunteers and environmental groups working to protect the area’s flora and fauna,” it adds.
The statement concludes by calling on the three levels of government to stop the project, while also asking citizens to sign the petition to defend public access and protect the island.
“Sign this petition and together let’s fight to protect public access to Cozumel’s beaches. Let’s not allow the interest of a few to prevail over the common good and the natural beauty we all share,” concludes the statement.
The cruise line, it should be recalled, presented its request for an Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) to the General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk (Dgira) earlier this month, in order to obtain authorization for the construction of this new beach club.
According to its application, this project involves the preparation, construction, operation, and maintenance of a beach club with a capacity for 4,000 tourists daily.
This space aims to offer extensive daytime experiences and activities through the designed infrastructure, which will include: restaurants, pools with different depths, bathrooms with showers, direct access to the beach, and varied support structures, as indicated by the cruise line in the document published by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).
The project in question, which has a 25-year operating authorization, aims to generate 180 jobs during construction, and at least 2,000 during the operational stage.
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