Cozumel protects and preserves its coral reefs for the future

News release Ciudad de México, October 8, 2019 COZUMEL PROTECTS AND PRESERVS ITS CORAL REEFS FOR THE FUTURE •

As of October 7th, for little longer than two months, tourism and recreational activities in the southern portion of Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park will be suspended

•

On December 15th, subaquatic activities in the area will be resumed, with a rotary resting strategy that includes the suspension of activities in other reefs of the National Park.

•

The sites in which aquatic-recreational activities will be suspended occupy 21% of the 14 reefs complexes most visited in Cozumel.

In order to give some rest to the sites with the greatest biological interest of the Mesoamerican Coral Reef system and to contribute to its recuperation of the so called “White Syndrome”, that affects Mexican Caribbean Reefs, tourism and recreational activities in a southern portion of the Cozumel’s Reefs National Park will be partially and temporally suspended.

The suspension will begin in October 7th and finish December 15th. From then, a rotative strategy that allows other reefs of the National Park to rest will be implemented without affecting the sites’ ecotourism service providers.

This was agreed during an extraordinary meeting of the Advisory Board of Cozumel’s Reefs’ National Park, in which government officials participated along with representatives from the civil society, businessmen, tourism service providers, fishermen and academics.

Amongst the participants were; Roberto Aviña Carlín, National Commissioner of Natural Protected Areas, federal deputy Adriana Teissier Zavala, Cozumel’s Municipality President Pedro Joaquín

Delbouis, and Cristopher González Baca, Conanp Regional Director in Yucatan’s Peninsula and Mexican Caribbean.

Commissioner Roberto Aviña highlighted the importance of “producing while preserving and preserving while producing” and noted tourism and the reef as the backbone that sustains Cozumel’s community.

During the following months, working tables will be organized aiming at establishing the reefs’ rotary resting system of the National Park and to search for other strategies that can help improve the reefs’ conditions.

The participants acknowledged the challenge and expressed their commitment to collaborate jointly in favor of the reef, which is a fundamental piece for Cozumel’s livelihood.

The reefs will entry a temporally suspension period of recreational and tourism activities that represent only 21% of the diving and snorkel sites that can be visited at the National Park. This strategy gives certainty to the visitors for continue enjoying Cozumel while at the same time to participate in its preservation.

The reefs’ sites that will continue to be available for their tourism and recreational use are; Paraíso, Las Palmas, Dzul Ha, ChanKana’ab cordillera, ChanKana’ab bolones, Tormentos, Playa Corona, Yucab, San Clemente, Punta Tunich, Cardona, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Paso del Cedral, La Francesa and Dalila. As well as, el Pecio C-53 “Felipe Xicotencatl”.