| Greenpeace Files Lawsuit to Protect X'cacel |
10/26/98 Greenpeace announced today that it had filed a lawsuit with the Mexican Attorney General's Office of Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) against the Spanish hotel chain Sol Melia for destroying threatened species during ground preparations for their proposed development at X'cacel, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
"The demarcation work done by the hotel chain in X'cacel, has destroyed species of "chit" palm and mangrove which are considered by the Official Mexican Norm NOM-059-ECOL-1994 as threatened and under special protection", reports Juan Carlos Cantú, Biodiversity Coordinator of Greenpeace.
Chit palms are only found near the coast and are utilized for the construction of palm huts. They take 145 years to reach cutting age. Heavy cutting by man has lead to their threatened status. Greenpeace reports that the Sol Melia contractors used chit palm logs to build fences.
On February 21st of 1998, X'cacel was declared a Protected Natural Area from the 60 meter isobath to 100 meters inland (starting from the high tide
mark). According to Greenpeace, the demarcation cuts made by Sol Melia didn't respect this protected area and reached as far as the beach.
Early in 1998, Sol Melia bought 45 hectares in X'cacel, which is situated some 100 kilometers south of Cancun, with the purpose of building a luxury tourist development with a 450 room hotel. X'cacel is an area with sandy beach, coastal brush, mangrove and low tropical forest that is home to
several endemic, threatened and endangered species like loggerhead and green sea turtles, palms, white, red and black mangrove, boa constrictor, swamp
crocodile, arboreal anteater, porcupine, margay, jaguarundi, manatee, etc.
"The irregularities of this case started when Quintana Roo State authorities sold 45 hectares to Sol Melia violating the Coordination
Agreement for the Ecological Regulation of the Region of Cancun-Tulum of 1994, which stated that no development was to be allowed in X'cacel and the
land would be offered first to local NGOs to be made into a natural reserve", pointed out Juan Carlos Cantú.
| Background and further information |
Protests Planned Against X'cacel Beach Development 7/22/98
Major Atlantic Sea Turtle Nesting Beach may be lost 5/8/98
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