Yum Balam Reserve Council Back in Action After Hiatus

The Yum Balam Reserve Advisory Council has resumed operations in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas after a two-and-a-half-year break. The council includes representatives from the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), the Ministry of Environment of Quintana Roo, and the local city council. It also includes hoteliers, restaurateurs, fishermen, communal landowners, and the Association of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

The council's first session concluded with the unanimous reappointment of Eloy Manuel González Novelo as president for a five-year term. The council members agreed on several resolutions, including plans for their next meeting in mid-February. At this meeting, they will present documentation endorsing the current president and his deputy from the Holbox communal land.

The council also decided to receive updates from the municipal presidential authorities and communal landowners of Holbox and Chiquilá. They will present proposals from each represented sector detailing their needs for a comprehensive analysis of the Management Program. The council will extend an invitation to the national commissioner of Conanp, Pedro Álvarez, to contribute to discussions on various area issues.

González Novelo emphasized that the council will address important issues through proposals from each subsector, representing the interests and concerns of the fishing, communal landowner, and tourism sectors. He stated, "Our goal is to work harmoniously with institutions, regulations, and laws. We are committed to working with all sectors to achieve our objectives effectively."

The council's primary goal is to protect biodiversity while promoting economic development and employment. They also aim to improve the quality of life and economic conditions within the community.

The Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Protection Area spans a total of 154,052 hectares, including both terrestrial and marine surfaces. It encompasses the territories of Holbox's smaller and larger islands, part of the protected land of Isla Mujeres, and areas of influence in the communities of Chiquilá and Solferino, and the Kantunilkín seat.

As of 2018, the area had an estimated population of 2,957 inhabitants. It is designated as a Ramsar site by the Convention on Wetlands and was registered in the National System of Protected Areas in 1999.

The reserve hosts a variety of vegetation, including grassland, deciduous forest, evergreen and semi-deciduous forest, coastal dune vegetation, and hydrophilic vegetation. It is also home to a diverse range of wildlife, including various species of turtles, crocodiles, flamingos, storks, spoonbills, monkeys, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, and manatees.