COP16: Environmentalists call for halt to project that would affect Mexico's whale route

The echo, which began a few months ago with a warning in northern Mexico, is growing. Although it seemed to go unnoticed, like a silent cry, the call for attention has become so international that it was mentioned by participants at COP16 in Cali. It is a warning from at least 40 explorers, scientists, oceanographers, researchers and photographers from the National Geographic Society and other organisations such as the Ocean Futures Society, chaired by Jean Michel Cousteau and Rubén D. Arvizu, about the impact of the Saguaro project, which aims to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and pipeline in Puerto Libertad, Baja California.

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The area corresponds to the Gulf of California, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. At least 36 species of whales have been recorded and 11 families have been identified. Humpback whales, grey whales, blue whales, sperm whales, sea lions, dolphins, killer whales and fin whales have all been sighted.

Specifically, the project involves the construction of an 800 kilometre pipeline in the Sierra Madre from the United States to Mexico, a liquefied natural gas terminal in Puerto Libertad, Sonora, and the transport of this fuel in ships over 300 metres long through the Gulf of California to Asia.

What is being developed will involve the continuous transit of large tankers through the waters of the Gulf, causing serious damage to the habitats of thousands of marine species and impacting on the communities that depend on the sea. When we first sailed in this wonderful place, my father, Jacques Y. Cousteau, called it 'the aquarium of the world'. It is a vital part,' said a letter sent last month to President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Last Thursday, the organisation sent another letter to Alicia Bárcena, Mexico's secretary of the environment and natural resources, who attended a forum in the Blue Zone yesterday. The letter reads: There is no doubt that drastic measures will be taken to protect the habitats of whales, dolphins and thousands of other species.

There will be a huge amount of ship traffic. The company's claim that there will be little traffic is absurd. The pollution and noise from the huge ships will destabilise the habitat,' says Rubén D. Arvizu, director general for Latin America of the Ocean Futures Society, in an interview with EL TIEMPO.

We want things to be done properly. Where are the environmental impact studies? It's been three years. We're not making accusations, that's why we say in the letter that we want to prevent damage,' he continues.

The company behind the project is Mexico Pacific. According to press releases, it aims to ' the global energy transition and provide energy security for Asia'. The aim is to have 'a liquefaction point much closer to the world's largest LNG markets, reducing shipping costs and completely eliminating the risk of the Panama Canal'. In addition, the company says, 'the location and design allows for a 50 per cent reduction in decarbonisation'.

But there are also warnings about the transport of methane gas, which, according to environmentalists at the National Geographic Society, would not only affect living species but also 'contribute to the emission of more greenhouse gases'.

DAVID ALEJANDRO LÓPEZ BERMÚDEZ

Special Envoy to COP16