Royal Caribbean’s Mahahual Project Strains Local Services

Mahahual, Othón P. Blanco Municipality — The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) held a public information meeting regarding the Environmental Impact Statement for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's 'Perfect Day Mexico' project. The session highlighted significant concerns about the strain the development would place on Mahahual's basic infrastructure.

The primary concern raised at the meeting was the project's potential to overwhelm local services, including drinking water, sanitation, wastewater treatment, and garbage disposal for a development designed to serve up to 21,000 cruise ship tourists daily. The shipping company acknowledged this pressure, stating that a portion of the estimated 3.903 billion peso investment would be allocated to drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and electrical grid expansion.

Regarding solid waste from the water park, bars, and restaurants, the company stated a plant would be built for separating and recycling organic and inorganic waste. Waste that cannot be recycled would be decomposed through pyrolysis. The company stated coordination with the state government would ensure these services also benefit the community, including having collection trucks pass through the town. These clarifications on solid waste are an addition to the Environmental Impact Statement, which originally only stated that urban waste would be managed by a third party, with details to be provided after construction authorization.

In their presentation, Royal Caribbean representatives reiterated that there is contaminated mangrove near the project site, but attributed this not to the existing Costa Maya Port, but to malfunctions at the community's wastewater treatment plant operated by the state's Water and Sewerage Commission (CAPA).

The first part of the forum featured explanations from representatives of Cielo Asoleado, Royal Caribbean's local company, headed by Ari Adler Brotman, president of Royal Caribbean Mexico. A subsequent question-and-answer session lasted longer than expected, with more than 30 of 40 questions addressing environmental impact concerns.

The presentation phase of the meeting saw allegations of "rigging" by the shipping company and municipal and state authorities to secure more voices of support at the forum, held at the Mahahual K'iin Community Center. The 241 attendees heard from specialists and environmentalists who pointed out inconsistencies in the Environmental Impact Assessment, particularly regarding regional impacts on mangroves and reefs.

Diver Fernando Amezcua stated the study is incomplete and lacks sufficient technical data, which could lead to unforeseen effects. He expressed opposition, believing the project ignores minimum conditions to avoid irreversible damage and is not environmentally viable due to Mahahual's natural and service limitations. He also stated the study ignores aquifer behavior, population growth impact, and pressure on environmental services.

Representatives of civil organizations warned of possible impacts on wildlife, including pumas, jaguars, tapirs, and endangered sea turtles, and cautioned that increased cruise traffic does not guarantee economic benefits, citing Cozumel as an example.

During this phase, Semarnat was accused of violating its own rules, as the call for presentations specified only technical and legal observations related to environmental impact. However, approximately 12 of the 20 registered presentations supported the project on economic grounds. These supportive presentations included statements from Osmany Palomo Hoil, president of Coparmex Chetumal; Jaime Aguilar Cheluja, president of the Citizen Planning Council, a municipal agency; and his son, Jaime Aguilar Torres, president of the State Youth Council, a state government agency.

They argued in favor of the project for its potential to generate direct and indirect jobs, build housing, and reuse previously impacted areas, but did not provide the technical or legal environmental observations requested by the call. Presentations by Eduardo Marzuca Ferreiro, president of the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals, and Jorge Leonardo Sánchez Castillo, president of the College of Civil Engineers of the Southern Zone, included brief environmental comments, supporting the project's proposed solutions for water and waste management. Jorge Manuel Tello Chan, a professor at ITCH, also briefly noted the importance of investment in a sanitary landfill with state and municipal coordination.

Mahahual currently has approximately 2,800 residents. The Royal Caribbean project promises to generate up to 3,000 jobs, which is expected to attract more people and accelerate population growth, increasing demand for currently scarce housing and basic services.

This informational meeting closes the public consultation that began on February 23. During this period, the municipal president of Othón P. Blanco, Yensunni Martínez Hernández, was also accused of promoting acts to manipulate results through the Director of Municipal Planning, Manuel Raygoza Alcocer, who allegedly instructed citizens aligned with the government to fill out a digital form with answers favoring the project.

The evaluation process will now continue with desk work, analyzing the observations received before Semarnat issues a resolution.