Quintana Roo Revokes Permits After Deer Deaths

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MX — The Secretary of Ecology and Environment of Quintana Roo (SEMA) has initiated the process to revoke the environmental impact authorization granted to the Legacy real estate development, located in Playacar, following the documented non-compliance with wildlife protection measures that resulted in the death of three deer, including a fawn.

The head of the agency, Óscar Rébora, stated that the decision is a response to the omission of the conditions established in the environmental resolution. "We are revoking the environmental impact authorization for the Legacy development, which is a complex in Playacar. This project failed to comply with the conditions of its authorization, ignored wildlife protection measures, and caused the death of three deer, one of which was a fawn," he explained via a video statement.

According to the official, the initial resolution mandated a wildlife relocation program, a requirement that was not fulfilled by those responsible for the project. "This is an act of consistency: whoever obtains an authorization must comply with all its conditions, including mitigation measures and, in this specific case, the wildlife relocation program," he added.

The Legacy project was submitted in 2019 with the promise of respecting the environmental balance in the Playacar area, one of the most exclusive residential and tourist complexes in Playa del Carmen.

However, since the land preparation stage in 2020, environmental groups had warned of risks to native fauna, primarily deer and coatis that inhabit the area. In 2021, SEMA granted the authorization conditional on the strict fulfillment of mitigation measures, including wildlife supervision during land clearing work.

In 2023, the first incidents with wildlife displaced by the construction were reported, and last year the cases of deer deaths were documented.

Rébora emphasized that non-compliance will have consequences. "If you don't do it, there are consequences, and in this case, those omissions cost the lives of three deer, which is why this revocation process is being initiated today," he stated.

The Secretary will officially notify the company responsible for the project and will provide legal follow-up to the procedure. To conclude the video statement, he said: "I will inform you later on how the process will continue."