Baja California Sur governor will seek to keep heavy maritime traffic out of Loreto, a Pueblo Mágico

Following a month of protests and demonstrations, Baja California Sur Governor Víctor Manuel Castro on Wednesday agreed to formally request President Claudia Sheinbaum to repeal a decree that had opened the port of Loreto to large-scale maritime traffic.

Environmentalists swiftly objected to Sheinbaum’s April 10 decree, arguing that the new designation would put at risk the habitat of various endangered species and threaten the livelihoods of local communities.

By amending the Federal Public Administration Law and the Ports Law, Sheinbaum’s decree converted Loreto into a deep-sea cabotage port, thereby authorizing the entry of international vessels — including cruise ships — and allowing for expanded foreign trade activities, such as the transit of national ships for the transport of goods, fuel and passengers.

The coalition “Whales or Gas?” — comprising more than 40 civil society and environmental protection organizations — led the protests demanding immediate revocation of the decree, which “gravely endangers the habitat of the blue whale and the local economies that depend on the arrival and presence of the world’s largest animal and other equally important species.”

After weeks of rallies and marches, the governor agreed to meet with the protesters along with representatives of the federal, state and local governments. 

The Navy Ministry sought to negotiate modifications to the decree as an alternative to its cancellation, but the community flatly refused to budge from its demand of a full repeal. Castro accepted the legitimacy of the community’s mobilization efforts, saying that he and Loreto Mayor Paz Ochoa will sign the petition and send it to the president.

The petition, which had received 440,000 signatures as of Tuesday, reads in part: 

“By decision of the community assembly in defense of the Loreto Bay National Park, I hereby express my commitment to preserve the Natural Protected Area and support the request for the repeal of the decree.”

It concludes by saying that “the municipal and state authorities trust that our proposal will be duly and respectfully acknowledged.”

The petition points out that Loreto was designated a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town), fostering the development of an economic model based on low-impact, community-oriented tourism. The port also serves as a gateway to Loreto Bay National Park, declared a protected natural area three decades ago and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for over 20 years.

Environmentalists also point out that the decree contradicts the conservation vocation of the area by going against the principles established in the Loreto Bay National Park Management Program, published in 2019, while also describing the operation and transit of cruise ships and mega-cruise ships as a direct threat to the survival and habitat of the blue whale.

In addition to the blue whale, Loreto is home to several other protected species, including some types of dolphins, sea turtles, birds and sharks.

While the protesters celebrated the agreement with the governor as a community victory, they insist they will remain vigilant until the cancellation of the decree is officially published.

With reports from Milenio, Wired and Sudcaliforniano

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