Semarnat environmental permit denials in Quintana Roo

Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) has denied environmental authorizations for several development projects in the state of Quintana Roo to protect coastal ecosystems.

In Playa del Carmen, Semarnat denied permits for a coastal protection and restoration project at the Secrets Moxché hotel because certain works, such as the installation of three 75-meter breakwaters, were constructed before the federal evaluation process was finished. In Puerto Morelos, Semarnat halted the GL Dreams housing project due to concerns regarding habitat fragmentation and threats to local mangrove and wetland systems.

Expanding its oversight to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Semarnat announced that the ‘Puerta al Mar’ project, which is linked to the Maya Train, will not proceed. However, Maya communities and fishing groups in Punta Allen have expressed concerns that the decision lacks legal guarantees and fails to address existing environmental damage. Local groups report that construction, which began in August 2023, has already resulted in the clearing of 6.34 hectares of jungle and impacted 1,418 square meters of red mangrove, while disrupting biological corridors for species such as jaguars, tapirs, and ocelots.

Additionally, Semarnat blocked the construction of a 108-room hotel at the Punta Venado development for violating the 100-meter protection buffer for mangroves. While the agency denied the hotel, pools, and certain beach access points, it granted partial authorization for 30 suites and 23 residences, contingent upon the developer maintaining 75% of the coastal dune surface in its natural state.