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Isla Mujeres starts beach recovery project

Isla Mujeres, Q.R. — Municipal authorities of Isla Mujeres are working to recover more than 200 linear meters of beach areas of the island that have lost their sand.

Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres is working on a beach recovery project, which in only a few days, has recovered approximately 65 linear meters of beaches that include Na Balam and Riito.

Kerem Pinto Aguilar, directora de la Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre (Zofemat), explained that the recovery project will include about 215 linear meters of beach area, 150 of which are located around El Riito.

Pinto Aguilar says the sand was lost due to beach erosion from weather, which left these once pristine areas with exposed rocks. She added that the recovery project involves the relocation of existing sand and does not include dredging.

“The process is only the rearrangement of sand from one place to another without dredging,” she said, adding that it is being taken from a small surplus found in the north end of the peninsula. The work is being done by the company, Marenter, who are cautious so as not to cause any kind of damage to the environment or to local bathers and visitors, she noted.

The official stressed that the first stage has already been culminated and developed in the Na Balam area and that they are starting the second one that corresponds to the area of El Riit, which so far, makes up 65 linear meters of reclaimed beach.

There will be a third stage, she explained, corresponding to the right side of El Riit where the beach has 150 linear meters which, when complete, will see a total of 215 linear meters of beach recovered in that area.

“We are doing rearrangement work and not dredging. We have already made a breakthrough. It is very important to maintain the good image that characterizes the beaches of the island as well as to take care of the ecological environment and the tourist attractions of the municipality, so they are carrying out the work in a careful manner so as not to cause damage,” she said.

Pinto Aguilar mentioned that in two more weeks they would be finalizing the rearranging of sand in the northern part of the municipality.