Environmental and climate organizations warned that the presidential decree modifying the port’s classification in Baja California Sur could pose risks to the blue whale and to local economic activities related to tourism and fishing.
The statement comes after the publication of the decree on April 10, 2026, which authorizes the arrival of cruise ships and large vessels to the port.
According to the signatory organizations, this measure transforms the Port of Loreto from a coastal port to a deep-sea port, allowing mega-cruise ships to enter an area considered a natural sanctuary for the blue whale.
Read the full statement from environmental associations below:
The “Whales or Gas?” coalition, made up of more than 40 organizations, stands in solidarity with the groups and individuals of the Loreto community against the presidential decree, issued on April 10, 2026, which authorizes the entry of cruise ships and large vessels to the Port of Loreto. This represents a substantial shift from a coastal port to a deep-water port. The same conditions we have denounced for nearly two years regarding Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects in the Gulf of California apply to this new provision. This decree seriously jeopardizes the habitat of the blue whale and the local economies that depend on the arrival and presence of the world’s largest animal, as well as other equally important species.
The undersigned environmental and climate organizations call for the reversal of this misguided and unconstitutional decision. Megacruise ships have a long history of environmental impacts that destroy whale habitats and force them to alter their behavior and migration patterns. The noise from these gigantic vessels, similar in size to LNG carriers, deafens, disorients, and harms whales. Additionally, these ships load and unload ballast water, which they collect in other locations and which provides stability during navigation. This loading and unloading severely pollutes marine ecosystems and introduces invasive species that can have significant consequences. The decree contravenes the designation of Loreto Bay as a National Park and World Heritage Site. Its management program as a Protected Natural Area expressly mentions mega-cruise ships and cruise ships as a threat to the blue whale (p. 59, PNBL Management Program, 2019).
Moreover, economic evidence also points to the mega-cruise industry’s negative impacts on local economies. Loreto currently depends on whale watching, fishing, and small-scale tourism. The arrival of cruise ships alters the local economy, eliminating or significantly impacting the independent activities of the residents. For these reasons, the people of Loreto have organized to demand adequate protection for their livelihoods and for the blue whales. We join in this demand and urge President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and federal environmental authorities to reverse this decision and act within their powers and for the common good, disregarding foreign interests that seek to further exploit our country and its natural resources.
In the face of the gas and megacruise ship industries, we call for the defense of marine life and whales, respect for local economies, and the protection of the environmental and cultural wealth of the Gulf of California, the Aquarium of the World.
Source: aristeguinoticias
