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Court halts work on Royal Caribbean’s mega-project in Mahahual, QR

MND Staff
By MND Staff
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Perfect Day water park
Once open for business, the 80-hectare "Perfect Day" water park could attract 21,000 cruise ship tourists per day, and employ some 2,500 people for the park’s operation. (Royal Caribbean)

A court in Quintana Roo state ordered a provisional suspension of works by Royal Caribbean on its “Perfect Day” tourism project in Mahahual on Monday, while the potential environmental implications of the project are being assessed. 

The injunction was requested by the civil society organization Defending the Right to a Healthy Environment (DMAS). The group argues that there are irregularities in the authorization of land-use changes provided to the Royal Caribbean cruise line.

DMAS stressed that it is not against the proposed water park but that “we are in favor of respecting the law, urban planning, and the community’s right to a healthy environment.”

Royal Caribbean first presented “Perfect Day” to a group of journalists in October, during which the U.S. firm’s director of innovation, Jay Schneider, said the project is expected to attract up to 6 million tourists a year and transform the fishing village of Mahahual into a stronghold for the American cruise line.

The proposed 80-hectare water park is set to be developed across from the Mahahual cruise ship pier in southern Quintana Roo. The initial plan outlines an operational capacity of up to 21,000 cruise ship tourists per day, as well as 2,500 employees for the park’s operation.

Activists have long raised concerns about the project, saying that the park will worsen infrastructure woes in the 2,600-person town, which is already battling wastewater problems.

On Monday, a federal judge called for a halt to operations on environmental grounds, as the project could damage mangroves, put pressure on water rights and harm existing infrastructure due to its scale.

Developers will not be permitted to work on the project while the injunction is being resolved.

A hearing to assess the possibility of a definitive suspension is expected to be held in the coming days.

When questioned about the potential impact of the project on the mangroves, Schneider said, “We are not going to touch anything in the mangrove conservation area.” 

He went on to suggest that the mangroves are already being damaged by pollution associated with the municipal wastewater treatment plant and that Royal Caribbean aimed to restore the mangroves, as well as construct a new wastewater treatment plant for the community.

With reports from La Jornada and El Financiero

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