Ruptly
"Dozens of people gathered at the port of Veracruz on Sunday to demand urgent action over a hydrocarbon spill detected along the Gulf of Mexico since March 2. Footage shows residents, fishermen and activists protesting over environmental damage they say was caused by tar that has spread across the state's beaches. "We demand transparency about what is happening. We know the impact is very significant and is often being played down. We want to know the full extent of that impact. We want complete and transparent monitoring, so that communities that depend on fishing can have peace of mind when carrying out their economic activity," demanded a protester. Participants also criticised Rocio Nahle, Governor of Veracruz, for downplaying the environmental impact in the state and highlighting an increase in fishing, while fishermen themselves have detected tar. "We saw that just a few days ago, when Governor Rocio Nahle was celebrating this historic fishing catch. Yes, but we still do not know whether it was caused by contamination or by the tar," said Roberto Juarez, representative of the Youth Building the Future Global organisation. He added that the government's 15,000-peso ($840) payment to fishermen was "just meant to cover people's eyes and make fools of them," and called for an immediate response to "one of the biggest ecological crises in Mexico's history." "What comes next is ecological restoration, restoration of the entire ecosystem, but it will only be possible with fishermen, the tourism sector, the business sector, and the will of the government and the people," he emphasised. Hydrocarbon spills have also been detected along the coasts of Tabasco and Tamaulipas, in addition to Veracruz. The government says the spill was likely caused by three separate sources: an unidentified vessel anchored off Coatzacoalcos and two natural seepages, including one in the Cantarell field, according to Navy Secretary Admiral Raymundo Morales. Greenpeace and other NGOs challenge that explanation, citing satellite images they say show a leak near the Pemex-operated Abkatun platform as early as February 6 and accusing the authorities of a lack of transparency. Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said it had deployed cleanup operations across 48 beaches, collecting 894 tonnes of hydrocarbons, including 853 tonnes from beaches and 40 tonnes from the sea. However, the impact is still being felt along the coast, with local fishing and tourism badly disrupted."
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