Dozens of people gathered Sunday at the boardwalk in Veracruz to protest against the expansion of the local port and raise awareness about the protection of the Gulf of Mexico’s coral reefs. 

The group of protesters, which included activists, environmentalists, jaraneros musicians, son jarocho dancers and local residents, objects to the construction of a breakwater of more than 3,000 meters on the La Gallega reef, which is part of the Veracruz Reef System.

Ahead of the protest, Ana León Malpica, student, activist and creator of the blog Hablemos de Biología (Let’s Talk about Biology), told local media that one of the objectives of the protest is to demand a comprehensive environmental impact study as ordered by Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN) in 2022. 

“The scientific community is truly outraged because they’re going to build on the La Gallega reef, which was excluded from the [boundaries] of the protected area by private interests, precisely to do this [breakwater]. They removed these reefs with the excuse that there was no longer any salvation for them,” León said. She added that the protest also seeks to increase visibility of Veracruz’s reefs, as many people aren’t aware that there are reefs in the area.

The SCJN’s ruling in 2022 recognized that the environmental impact statements for the project were fragmented, lacking a “comprehensive” view of the cumulative consequences for reefs and wetlands of this type of construction project. It thus ordered the cancellation of the original environmental permits and ruled that the authority responsible for the work had to carry out a new unified environmental impact study. 

Although a new environmental impact study was submitted to the authorities in December 2022, lawyers interviewed by Mongabay in May assert that it does not address the SCJN’s observations.

According to the Court, “in order for the environmental assessment to be truly comprehensive, all cumulative, synergic or residual impacts must be considered,” Jorge Lu Palencia told Mongabay. Lu Palencia asserts this was not done and that the 45 reefs originally excluded from the assessment area have not been reintegrated or evaluated in the new impact study. 

The Veracruz Reef System (Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano) is the largest coral reef system in the Gulf of Mexico. According to scientists, port expansion activities have altered sedimentation and breeding patterns at the partially destroyed Punta Brava and Punta Gorda reefs. There are also elevated organic matter levels in the La Blanquilla reef linked to construction sediment disturbance and wastewater discharge in the area. 

Construction on the project, which will extend through December 2028, will cost over 20 billion pesos (US $1 billion) and includes complementary infrastructure in electricity, port security and customs.

With reports from Diario de Xalapa and Mongabay