An oil spill on the beaches of southern Veracruz state has forced the closure of tourist sites, halted fishing activities and put turtle nesting areas at risk.  

First detected off the coast of Pajapan on Monday, the spill has since spread to the municipalities of Tatahuicapan, Mecayapan, Coatzacoalcos and Cárdenas, Tabasco, affecting at least 150 km of coastline.

Over 100 fishermen have reportedly been affected by contaminated water, which has prevented them from carrying out fishing activities and may have damaged their boats, motors and nets.

Mayor of Pajapan José Luis González, announced plans to file complaints with the Environment Ministry (Semarnat) and the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa). 

According to González, there is “a lot of tar” on all of the beaches of Pajapan. 

“Fishermen, restaurant owners and tourism are all affected,” González told El Financiero. “Easter week is approaching, our patron saint’s festival is just around the corner and tourists, along with restaurant owners, will be the most impacted.”

There are also concerns over the threat to biodiversity in the region, as the beaches directly north and south of Coatzacoalcos are important turtle nesting areas and oyster habitats. 

Local authorities have urged the public to avoid consuming fish and seafood from the region, as well as from entering the sea, until further notice. 

Residents are urging authorities to expedite cleanup efforts and control the spill to prevent a mass die-off of marine life. 

Who is at fault?

Despite finger-pointing at state-owned Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), which operates several oil fields in the vicinity of Veracruz, the source of the contamination has not yet been identified.  

“Regarding the news reports about the presence of hydrocarbons on beaches in southern Veracruz state, Petróleos Mexicanos reports that after conducting technical inspections at its facilities, no leaks or spills have been detected,” Pemex said in an official statement. “The infrastructure in the region is operating normally and under safe conditions.” 

Pemex said it will maintain constant surveillance at its work sites and will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities to determine the origin of the reported material. 

Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle García agreed that, based on the information currently available, the spill did not originate from Pemex. 

 “There are no pipelines there,” said Nahle. 

Mayor Luis González said that a census was being conducted by Pemex on the damages caused by the spill, targeting fishermen and residents of the lagoon, as well as restaurant owners and street vendors.  

With reports from El Financiero, El Sol de México and La Silla Rota