The state of Campeche administration of the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), which presides Alonso Julián Pacheco Ucán, has reportedly refused to disclose information about the actual damages that have been caused by the multiple forest fires this year, as well as hiding data at the central level, according to the report of the National Forest Fire Center.
Fom January 1 to May 4 of this year, Campeche has reported a cumulative of 16 forest fires, which affects a total of 4 thousand 301 hectares.
(Photo: Yucatan a la Mano)
In addition, the National Forestry Commission reportedly does not provide precise information on the active forest fires in the communities of Chun Ek and Sodzil, located in the municipalities of Hopelchén and Hecelchakán, respectively. At Sodzil commissary Álvaro Tzec Collí said in previous days that the fire in Los Petenes had consumed more than 80 hectares until that moment and that the efforts of the authorities to quell it had been completely useless.
Although the Chun Ek community says that fire started more than a month ago and in Sodzil more than 15 days ago, the National Forest Fire Center’s Annual and Cumulative Forest Fire Report 2017 reveals that Alonso Julián Pacheco Ucán has not reported such incidents to the database at the national level, indicating he may wants to try to hide the effects.
Although Campeche is not included in the list of states with the highest number of forest fires, it is on the one of states with the greatest impact on the arboreal stratum, with more than 1,500 hectares damaged by the fire, figures that place it only below the Entities of Mexico (2,215 ha), Oaxaca (2,042 ha) and Jalisco (1,6239 ha), followed by Chihuahua (1,289 ha), Michoacan (1,113 ha) and Yucatan (813 ha).
In another non related environmental development, in Merida the federal deputy of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Lucely Alpizar Carrillo, informed that the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), will authorize the capture of sea cucumber, because the study made by the National Fisheries Institute is positive for this fishery.
She said that permits will be granted soon, which will give tranquility to the fishermen, who insist to be allowed to catch this animal since March. Alpizar Carrillo clarified that due to predation the sea cucumber can’t be a sustainable fishery such as grouper, octopus, lobster, which have their date of capture and closure. She pointed out that as long as the echinoderm is still depredated, Conapesca can’t consider this fishery as sustainable, that it is the responsibility of the fishermen to make this possible.
Sources:
- yucatanalamano.com/campeche/ Forest Fires
- yucatanalamano.com/destacado/ Sea-cucumber
