Cozumel Mayor Rejects Cruise Ship Expansion for Fourth Pier

Cozumel, Mexico is without doubt one of the busiest ports of name on the earth when it comes to cruise passenger site visitors.  With over 4.5 million cruise guests yearly, it’s not unusual for tens of hundreds of cruisers to disembark on the island in a single day.

With three cruise piers already in operation, plans for a fourth pier have been within the works for a number of years.  However in response to a current announcement from Cozumel’s mayor, there gained’t be one other pier beneath development any time quickly.

Cozumel’s Present Piers

As a significant hub for cruise traces, Cozumel at the moment operates three major cruise ship piers:

Punta Langosta: This pier is positioned closest to downtown San Miguel, permitting cruise passengers simple strolling entry to native outlets and eating places.
SSA Worldwide Pier (often known as SSA Mexico): Located south of downtown, this pier is a major docking level for big cruise traces comparable to Royal Caribbean, Movie star Cruises, and MSC Cruises.
Puerta Maya: Situated furthest south, this pier is a frequent cease for Carnival Cruise Line vessels.

The Pier Plans Rejected

Whereas generally known as the “fourth pier,” the current proposal was really an enlargement of the present SSA Mexico Pier (generally referred to as Worldwide Cruise Terminal).

The aim was to permit it to accommodate even bigger “deep-draft” cruise ships, which might have elevated the port’s general capability.

The plan additionally included a non-public seashore membership, “Cabo Mantarraya,” elevating issues about proscribing public entry to the island’s shoreline.

Environmental and Native Issues

Not everybody was on board with the plans.  There was a priority among the many area people that the brand new challenge would hurt Cozumel’s coral reefs, amongst different points.

Some native residents voiced issues that elevated ship site visitors and bigger pier infrastructure might result in coral injury, elevated air pollution, infrastructure pressure, and decreased public entry to seashores.

The Mayor’s Stance

Mayor Chacón Méndez’s choice to reject each the pier enlargement and the seashore membership challenge, reportedly mirrored the choice of Cozumel’s neighborhood.

The mayor said, “In Cozumel it’s the individuals who rule, who resolve. Cozumel will first defend its surroundings and growth.”

“I’ve already signed the no-vote on the Mantaraya problem and I’ve additionally already signed the no-vote on the SSA Mexico. That’s how we’re working collectively,” he continued.

Town council’s formal “no” to the SSA Mexico Pier enlargement got here after a technical evaluate from Mexico’s environmental ministry (Semarnat). This evaluate is a key a part of how such initiatives are accredited or rejected.

This choice will in all probability contain extra negotiations sooner or later, with extra authorized challenges for each side of the argument.