Semarnat Rejects 54-Hectare Real Estate Project in Punta Sam

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s Environment Ministry (Semarnat) has denied environmental approval for a real estate project that sought to subdivide and urbanize 54.74 hectares at Punta Sam, on the mainland portion of Isla Mujeres.

The ruling was issued by the agency’s Directorate General for Environmental Impact and Risk (DGIRA) after it reviewed the environmental impact statement filed by the project’s developers in December 2022.

In document SRA/DGIRA/DG-06265-26, the Undersecretariat for Environmental Regulation notified the developers of the denial and ruled that no work or activity tied to the development may go forward.

Precautionary principle invoked

Semarnat based its decision on the principles governing Mexico’s Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure, as well as the precautionary principle and the doctrine known as in dubio pro natura, which favors protecting the environment when risks are uncertain.

The project was planned on a property known as San Augusto, Fraction A, southwest of Punta Sam, next to Laguna Chacmochuch and northeast of Cancun’s urban footprint.

While the full property has a registered area of 304.68 hectares, the works submitted for review covered only 54.74 hectares. The remaining 249.94 hectares were to be set aside for conservation or possible later use within permitted limits.

Land use breakdown

Within the 54.74 hectares under review, the developers proposed three areas of use:

• A first polygon of 8 hectares
• A second of 10 hectares
• A third of 16 hectares

Together those parcels totaled 34 hectares earmarked for development. The other 20.74 hectares were to remain a conservation area and, according to the developers’ proposal, be registered as a Wildlife Conservation Management Unit (UMA) with the Directorate General for Wildlife.

The regional environmental impact statement was filed with DGIRA in December 2022 and logged under file number 23QR2022TD094, with record 23/MG-0063/12/22.

With the denial, Semarnat warned the developers that they cannot carry out any works, activities or programs inside the polygon that require prior federal authorization for environmental impact.

The agency added that proceeding without such authorization could trigger enforcement measures, corrective or urgent actions, administrative sanctions and, where applicable, civil and criminal liability.

The property also lies alongside the route of the future highway that will link Cancun International Airport with Punta Sam.