Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Mangroves and Monsanto

8 November 2015 News 2

Profepa and the Cost of Mangrove Destruction

Yucatan has some of the strictest beach laws in all of Mexico and that is for a reason. Land here is flat. If a big hurricane or strong norte comes from the direction of the sea, there is nothing to stop the wind from pushing the sea to Merida and beyond. Mangroves form barriers that break the wind and stop that from happening. Therefore, before anyone even considers harming a plant on any of Yucatan’s beaches, they need permission from the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). If someone continues with such a project, they will be dealt with by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa). This year, there have been several attempts to fill in parts of mangroves to build subdivisions. From San Felipe to Celestun, Profepa has levied huge fines and closed down construction projects. Unfortunately, this last incident went to completion before it could be shut down. It seems that the Municipality of Progreso filled in part of a mangrove on private property. When the court cases were over, the Municipality owed half a million pesos in fines that will be collected and probably used for public works. We have this happen almost every year. If you want to buy a piece of Paradise at the beach in the State of Yucatan, please make sure you follow all of the rules. Profepa means business for the good of the environment and for the protection of the people.

Homosexuals Can Now Adopt in Colombia

There is a global problem when it comes to homeless children, but Latin America is finally beginning to allow scientific evidence and practical reality to overcome prejudices and homophobia. Colombia has just followed Argentina and Uruguay by approving homosexual couples to adopt homeless children. Chile, Peru and Brazil have presented initiatives, but they have not yet reached a consensus. The best part of these new laws are that the same-sex couples are now able to adopt as a couple. Formerly, only one could be the adoptive parent, leaving the other in legal limbo if the relationship failed or if the adopting partner passed away. The odd part of this issue is that same-sex couples are still not allowed to marry in any of those countries. Hopefully, as the number of homeless children goes down, thus relieving some pressure on society, then same-sex marriage will become a reality as well. According to our research, same sex couples have been legally able to adopt children in Mexico since 2011... but don't. Does anyone out there know differently?

Dog Attack Leaves Two Dogs Dead, Another Dog and a Child Wounded

With the pit bull club now up and running in the southern part of Yucatan, it was only a matter of time before incidents involving the breed began to take place. This time, two escaped from their yard in Merida and attacked a local street dog, as well as the little girl of a different neighbor. The street dog and one of the pit bulls had to be killed at the scene to stop the attack. The other pit bull and the little girl are under medical care. As is usual with pit bulls, there are two sides to the argument: (1) They are sweet, loving family dogs if raised and trained properly; and (2) They are too territorial and too strong to be safe pets in populated areas, no matter how they were raised or trained. Unfortunately, many more dogs and people will be injured and/or killed before a consensus is reached. When you walk your pets, please be careful to monitor your surroundings carefully so that you and your pet are safe. In all cases, if there is a problem, please report it to the police.

Presidents of Cuba and Mexico Visit Merida

Cuba’s President Raul Castro met Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto in Merida this past week for a three day state visit. The safety of Merida was, in large part, the reason this location was chosen. The Plaza Grande was fenced off and 1,000 members of the SSP were on hand to make sure that all was well. The official work of the two leaders (signing of documents, etc.) took place in the Central Patio of the Government Palace and in the Hall of History, all surrounded by over 400 security personnel. Yucatan is very proud of its record of safety and security. It may look a little militarized to some on occasion, but this is a military that, when the chips are down, will always stand and protect Yucatan and everyone who lives here. We hope Presidents Castro and Pena Nieto both had time to enjoy themselves on this very important working trip.

Supreme Court Rules Against Monsanto

Sometimes everything works just like it should. This time, Mexico’s Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Mayan communities and suspended permits allowing Monsanto to plant transgenic soybeans anywhere on the Yucatan Peninsula. There are several reasons the Maya do not want increased soy production on the peninsula. First, it leads to horrendous levels of deforestation, something everyone is fighting against. Second, the market for Mayan honey is in the billions of pesos and the main portion of that market is in Europe, which wants no GMOs. Finally, the GMOs cannot be controlled. An attempt was made at a test site and 40 tons of honey ended up contaminated because of it. If genetically modified crops are to be stopped, now is the time and everyone is thrilled with this new Supreme Court ruling.

14th Annual International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economy

UADY is hosting the 14th Annual International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economy. This is the first time this important event has been held in Mexico. It ran for five days last week and included 550 delegates from 53 countries as they explored veterinary epidemiology and economics through workshops, oral and poster presentations, graduate student competition, discussion boards and lectures. The effects of climate change on animal health was never far from discussion and, indeed, was the topic of the keynote speech. Yucatan is quite proud of the Veterinary School at UADY, as well as of all of the animal producers in the state. Symposia such as this help Yucatan solidify its standing in the international scientific community.

Merida's Airport Expansions

Merida’s International Airport has just completed one five year expansion and has now launched into another. There was a time when it was virtually impossible to easily travel to Merida by plane. Today, that is no longer the case and, with increasing numbers of flights from Canada, the United States, and Europe, the need for an airport that is newer, bigger and better is ongoing. The great news is that the entire remodeling and expansion plan meets all international civil aviation safety requirements, ensuring that travel to Yucatan is as safe as it is when travelers arrive. Look for some parts of this project to be finished by the end of the year (agricultural freight areas and areas designated for passenger comfort), with much more completed by March. It’s amazing how easy it is to get to Yucatan now!

Are You at Risk for Yellow Fever?

We have all learned more than we ever wanted to know about dengue fever and chikungunya. If we haven’t had one of those viruses, we know someone who has. Now, headlines are saying that, with global travel bringing people to Yucatan from all over the world, the people of this state may now be at risk for another of the Aedes aegypti mosquito’s gifts to man: yellow fever. The good thing about this is that there is a vaccine that will protect you from it. We used to laugh when potential travelers and expats asked us if they needed any immunizations to come to Yucatan. No one is laughing now, so please do make sure you are up to date on all of your vaccinations, even if you aren’t traveling at all. Although there are no cases of yellow fever being reported as of now, the CDC is recommending the vaccine, especially if you travel.

Pemex Conducts Seismic Survey Off Of Yucatan Coast

Yucatan’s fishermen report that Pemex has been conducting seismic surveys, looking for oil, off the coast of Yucatan and that their activities have significantly reduced the catches of every type of sea life they fish for. Since fishing is the main economic engine in all of Yucatan’s coastal cities, towns and villages, this is a very serious issue. The facts are that Pemex has partnered with Spectrum and Schlumberger to conduct these services for them and this is all part of a project that includes the seismic survey of all of the Gulf of Mexico, and the coast of Central and South America. It is the air guns that are killing sea life. Yucatan’s fishermen cannot survive without that income and Yucatan’s taxpayers should not end up supporting these fishing families until the catch recovers. This story is not unique to Yucatan. It is being played out in fishing families around the world. This type of survey has recently been successfully stopped off the coast of the United States and we hope that other nations will find alternative means of searching for suspected oil as well.

Hurricane Patricia: Update From Bruce and Mary

By now, everyone should know that, even with all of that scary wind speed, Hurricane Patricia missed Puerto Vallarta almost completely. Zero loss of life and very little property damage. However, that certainly didn’t stop them from getting ready for the hurricane or from spending time with friends after it brushed by them. To see Puerto Vallarta and Hurricane Patricia, visit Set Free in Mexico.