Latest news with #PROFEPA
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Authorities make 'historic bust' after finding concerning cargo in shipping container: 'Cartels seek to legally and illegally harvest more and more'
Authorities are working to combat wildlife trafficking across the world, and officials in Mexico have made a "historic bust." According to Mexico News Daily, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) and the Naval Ministry (SEMAR) confiscated 135 sacks of shark fins, totaling 2,433 kilograms (over 5,000 pounds) during an inspection of a shipping container at the Port of Ensenada, Baja California. The traffickers took the fins from various shark species, including silky sharks, hammerheads, and bull sharks, and some were from baby and juvenile sharks. While the fins found were not from sharks listed as threatened or endangered, they were from the CITES Appendix II list, which means they are at risk of being threatened if trade is not regulated. Mexico News Daily reported, "The export of such sharks to international markets is regulated by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and since the ship's captain did not possess the corresponding CITES certificate, the fins were seized." The ship was headed to Shanghai, China. According to the 2022 Brookings report, "Chinese actors and markets are thickly intertwined in Mexico's illegal economies, such as drug and wildlife trafficking and money laundering." Additionally, animals, including shark fins, are used to buy drug precursors. The Brookings report noted, "The increasing role of this payment method can devastate biodiversity in Mexico, as the cartels seek to legally and illegally harvest more and more of a wider and wider range of animal and plant species to pay for precursors." Biodiversity is vital for human survival. According to The Royal Society, a healthy ecosystem, comprising a diverse range of microorganisms, plants, and animals, is essential for the food humans eat and the air they breathe. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Some forms of wildlife trafficking involve introducing foreign species into an ecosystem. While not all foreign species are invasive, the ones that are can harm the local ecosystem — invasive species can take out native species. Countries and U.S. states are working to pass laws to combat wildlife trafficking. For example, in May, the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill was passed in Nigeria's House of Representatives. Colorado also enacted a law that toughens penalties for wildlife traffickers and strengthens enforcement. If you're concerned about wildlife trafficking, you can use your voice to speak with your representatives and advocate for similar laws to be passed near you. It will help protect your ecosystem and the animals. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Endangered turtles share this Mexican beach with SpaceX rocket debris. The company says there's no risk of harm
The debris arrives in the rockets' wake: melted plastics, aluminum and pieces of blue adhesive. It all ends up stranded on the sands of Bagdad beach in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, home to an endangered species of sea turtle. Just across the border lies Starbase, SpaceX's launchpad and company town. Since November, Conibio Global, a small non-governmental organization, has taken on a daunting task: cleaning up trash from SpaceX, one of the most powerful companies in the world. Jesús Elías Ibarra, founder of Conibio Global, told CNN that in November 2024, he witnessed one of SpaceX's launches and saw one of the rocket boosters fall into the Gulf of Mexico. That time, Ibarra says people arrived in at least three helicopters and more than 10 boats just a few hours later to clean up. CNN reached out to SpaceX to ask if they were responsible for this cleanup. In May, however, there was another launch, with more debris. This time, the activist claims, millions of particles ended up contaminating the area on the Mexican side. Ibarra said that a few days later, the organization collected more than a ton of waste in an area of 500 meters. 'In half a kilometer out of the 40 kilometers of shoreline, we already collected one ton (of trash),' added Ibarra. 'We are a very small group, it's impossible to clean everything.' Ibarra said that Conibio Global handed the debris to the Mexican government's environmental protection agency PROFEPA. In response to inquiries from CNN, SpaceX referred to what they published on social media site X on June 26, where they claim to have offered resources and support for cleanup efforts. The company claimed that they have also requested local and federal assistance from the Mexican government for debris recovery. Under the Outer Space Treaty, SpaceX is entitled to have its debris returned. The statement added that the company had performed tests that they claim confirm that there are no chemical, biological or toxicological risks associated with the flotsam and jetsam of a typical SpaceX launch. CNN contacted the authorities of Tamaulipas and the Presidency of Mexico about SpaceX's offer and is awaiting a response. Ibarra said that Conibio Global has not had any contact with the company. Marlon Sorge, executive director of The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS), told CNN in an email that it's best not to touch space debris if found. 'Although a lot of debris is not hazardous, spaceflight-related vehicles can contain hazardous chemicals and materials,' Sorge wrote. 'Be aware that it is not worth the risk to touch a piece of debris, and it could interfere with important investigations.' Some of the objects found during cleanup operations, Ibarra said, are solid and spongy plastics, a type of rubber with a consistency similar to cork, aluminum with SpaceX labels, pieces of plastic bubble wrap, steel tubes, and pieces of a blue-colored adhesive. Some of this trash, Ibarra predicted, could end up being ingested by Kemp's ridley turtles, an endangered species of sea turtle that inhabits the area. On its website, SpaceX says it is committed to minimizing the impact and improving the environment whenever possible, highlighting agreements with various US agencies and the Texas government. After the recent explosion of a SpaceX rocket on June 19, the NGO reported that some large fragments appeared in Mexican territory the next morning. It stated that several officials from the Mexican government got in touch so that they could be informed of the situation. Conibio follows SpaceX's social media announcements to know when there will be launches and goes to the sites to collect evidence of debris they know will fall. He says this happens in the northern area of Bagdad Beach and on a parcel of communal farming land in nearby Matamoros. Following persistent public complaints, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke out at her daily conference on June 25. Sheinbaum said that her government had found that there is indeed pollution and that the impact of rocket launches in general will be reviewed in order to take action 'within the framework of international laws,' including possible legal actions. Ibarra, who is also a veterinarian and director of the Marine Turtle Program at Conibio Global, said that he believes the vibrations generated by the rockets compact the sand where there are turtle nests and prevent them from emerging. He said that at least 300 hatchlings have died in the compacted nests. 'There is vegetation that the last explosion burned, the entire edge of the Rio Bravo, and the pipes broke many trees, which fell near a small population of people,' said Ibarra. He added that in several border cities between Tamaulipas and Texas it was reported that there was minor damage to houses due to the vibrations from the rockets. A team of environmental officials and personnel from the Mexican Navy Secretariat went to collect the waste Conibio collected last weekend, and during the visit, Ibarra recounted, they found a tank approximately 4 meters long and a stainless steel pipe weighing about 5 kg. Dealing with cleaning up the waste has cost the NGO more than US$26,000 in operating expenses and beach monitoring due to vehicle fuel they use and laborers' wages, as well as cleaning materials, the organization claims. Ibarra noted that the Mexican government has collaborated with them since they became aware of the situation, especially since it involves a foreign company. He claimed that during one of the visits they were 'harassed' by SpaceX drones that were recording them. SpaceX did not respond to CNN's request for comment on Ibarra's allegation. CNN has also contacted the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the Government of Tamaulipas for comments on Ibarra's statements. In SpaceX's statement on social media, the company said that the debris is its property and that its recovery attempts have been hindered by individuals who had 'trespassed' on private property without authorization. CNN has asked SpaceX and the Government of Tamaulipas about what private property the company is referring to. The Government of Tamaulipas has always expressed that it wants a collaborative relationship with SpaceX. Governor Américo Villarreal visited Starbase in November 2024. While the bigger rocket pieces have been removed, Ibarra says the trash remains a major problem at Bagdad Beach. 'The debris is still there,' Ibarra said. 'It's no longer as visible as in the photos because the tides have been burying it, but it's there, and it has to be removed sooner or later.' CNN's Deblina Chakraborty and Jackie Wattles contributed reporting. This article has been updated to correct the full title of The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies.
CNN
02-07-2025
- Science
- CNN
Endangered turtles share this Mexican beach with SpaceX rocket debris. The company says there's no risk of harm
The debris arrives in the rockets' wake: melted plastics, aluminum and pieces of blue adhesive. It all ends up stranded on the sands of Bagdad beach in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, home to an endangered species of sea turtle. Just across the border lies Starbase, SpaceX's launchpad and company town. Since November, Conibio Global, a small non-governmental organization, has taken on a daunting task: cleaning up trash from SpaceX, one of the most powerful companies in the world. Jesús Elías Ibarra, founder of Conibio Global, told CNN that in November 2024, he witnessed one of SpaceX's launches and saw one of the rocket boosters fall into the Gulf of Mexico. That time, Ibarra says people arrived in at least three helicopters and more than 10 boats just a few hours later to clean up. CNN reached out to SpaceX to ask if they were responsible for this cleanup. In May, however, there was another launch, with more debris. This time, the activist claims, millions of particles ended up contaminating the area on the Mexican side. Ibarra said that a few days later, the organization collected more than a ton of waste in an area of 500 meters. 'In half a kilometer out of the 40 kilometers of shoreline, we already collected one ton (of trash),' added Ibarra. 'We are a very small group, it's impossible to clean everything.' Ibarra said that Conibio Global handed the debris to the Mexican government's environmental protection agency PROFEPA. In response to inquiries from CNN, SpaceX referred to what they published on social media site X on June 26, where they claim to have offered resources and support for cleanup efforts. The company claimed that they have also requested local and federal assistance from the Mexican government for debris recovery. Under the Outer Space Treaty, SpaceX is entitled to have its debris returned. The statement added that the company had performed tests that they claim confirm that there are no chemical, biological or toxicological risks associated with the flotsam and jetsam of a typical SpaceX launch. CNN contacted the authorities of Tamaulipas and the Presidency of Mexico about SpaceX's offer and is awaiting a response. Ibarra said that Conibio Global has not had any contact with the company. Marlon Sorge, executive director of the Aerospace Corporation for Debris Reentry Studies (Cords), told CNN in an email that it's best not to touch space debris if found. 'Although a lot of debris is not hazardous, spaceflight-related vehicles can contain hazardous chemicals and materials,' Sorge wrote. 'Be aware that it is not worth the risk to touch a piece of debris, and it could interfere with important investigations.' Some of the objects found during cleanup operations, Ibarra said, are solid and spongy plastics, a type of rubber with a consistency similar to cork, aluminum with SpaceX labels, pieces of plastic bubble wrap, steel tubes, and pieces of a blue-colored adhesive. Some of this trash, Ibarra predicted, could end up being ingested by Kemp's ridley turtles, an endangered species of sea turtle that inhabits the area. On its website, SpaceX says it is committed to minimizing the impact and improving the environment whenever possible, highlighting agreements with various US agencies and the Texas government. After the recent explosion of a SpaceX rocket on June 19, the NGO reported that some large fragments appeared in Mexican territory the next morning. It stated that several officials from the Mexican government got in touch so that they could be informed of the situation. Conibio follows SpaceX's social media announcements to know when there will be launches and goes to the sites to collect evidence of debris they know will fall. He says this happens in the northern area of Bagdad Beach and on a parcel of communal farming land in nearby Matamoros. Following persistent public complaints, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke out at her daily conference on June 25. Sheinbaum said that her government had found that there is indeed pollution and that the impact of rocket launches in general will be reviewed in order to take action 'within the framework of international laws,' including possible legal actions. Ibarra, who is also a veterinarian and director of the Marine Turtle Program at Conibio Global, said that he believes the vibrations generated by the rockets compact the sand where there are turtle nests and prevent them from emerging. He said that at least 300 hatchlings have died in the compacted nests. 'There is vegetation that the last explosion burned, the entire edge of the Rio Bravo, and the pipes broke many trees, which fell near a small population of people,' said Ibarra. He added that in several border cities between Tamaulipas and Texas it was reported that there was minor damage to houses due to the vibrations from the rockets. A team of environmental officials and personnel from the Mexican Navy Secretariat went to collect the waste Conibio collected last weekend, and during the visit, Ibarra recounted, they found a tank approximately 4 meters long and a stainless steel pipe weighing about 5 kg. Dealing with cleaning up the waste has cost the NGO more than US$26,000 in operating expenses and beach monitoring due to vehicle fuel they use and laborers' wages, as well as cleaning materials, the organization claims. Ibarra noted that the Mexican government has collaborated with them since they became aware of the situation, especially since it involves a foreign company. He claimed that during one of the visits they were 'harassed' by SpaceX drones that were recording them. SpaceX did not respond to CNN's request for comment on Ibarra's allegation. CNN has also contacted the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the Government of Tamaulipas for comments on Ibarra's statements. In SpaceX's statement on social media, the company said that the debris is its property and that its recovery attempts have been hindered by individuals who had 'trespassed' on private property without authorization. CNN has asked SpaceX and the Government of Tamaulipas about what private property the company is referring to. The Government of Tamaulipas has always expressed that it wants a collaborative relationship with SpaceX. Governor Américo Villarreal visited Starbase in November 2024. While the bigger rocket pieces have been removed, Ibarra says the trash remains a major problem at Bagdad Beach. 'The debris is still there,' Ibarra said. 'It's no longer as visible as in the photos because the tides have been burying it, but it's there, and it has to be removed sooner or later.' CNN's Deblina Chakraborty and Jackie Wattles contributed reporting.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Luxury hotel attraction shut down after 'living nightmare' in pool exposed
Disturbing video highlights the 'nightmare' conditions where a pair of dolphins have been housed for the amusement of cashed-up tourists. In the wild, the animals could travel up to 100km in a day, but instead they were kept in two concrete tanks no bigger than swimming pools. Heartbreakingly, the tanks at the Mexican hotel where they were confined were just metres from the Caribbean Sea near Cancún, a holiday destination popular with foreign travellers. Conditions at Dolphinaris Barceló at Barceló Maya Grand Resort were so concerning that this week it was ordered shut, and its gates were sealed by the government's environment protection agency PROFEPA. Outspoken activist Phil Demers has repeatedly shared aerial footage of the dolphins on his Urgent Seas social media channels and called for their release. Speaking with Yahoo News on Friday, he said the dolphins had been living in shadeless pens that were 'very shallow'. 'It was a living nightmare for all of the dolphins there. The size was disproportionately small for what they needed. It was absurd, frankly,' he said. 'One of the great tragedies is the contrast of the size of their pool against the vast ocean, which is just metres away. Conditions were awful.' An investigation into the facility was launched after a shocking moment at the park that was broadcast across social media in February, 2025 highlighting to the world how small the tanks were. Filmed five years ago and then stashed away, it showed a dolphin attempting to perform a trick, misjudging the edge of the pool, and then crashing onto the edge. That animal survived, and was moved to another facility, but he is now blind in one eye and has just 60 per cent vision in the other due to keratitis — a condition that causes inflammation of the cornea. PROFEPA said the facility in southwest Mexico's Quintana Roo had been closed due to 'various operational irregularities". They included a failure to report "dangerous incidents", acrobatic performances that endanger animals, unregulated water temperature, forcing animals to complete tricks when unwell, and problems with water temperature. BREAKING: The dolphin tank at Hotel Barcelo in Riviera Maya, Mexico has been permanently closed. Thank you to all the tireless advocates who fought so hard for this resolve. Now we must ensure the dolphins are responsibly removed and relocated. More to come. — @UrgentSeas (@urgentseas) May 13, 2025 Demers said the outcome highlights both the power of social media and the work of activists who protested there every day. 'This has gone on for far too long, but credit to the activists who never gave up. Sometimes there were only one or two protesters out front, but they never gave up,' he said. Now that the facility has been closed, the focus is turning to what happens to the dolphins. The most likely outcome is that they will be moved to another facility, sparking fresh concerns that their lives will continue down a sad path. 🥫 Airline passenger request raises questions about popular menu items 😳 Warning as massive Aussie predator spotted near popular children's playground 🤠 Deadly find on roadside in beachside suburb sparks wild theory According to Demers, the closure of Dolphinaris Barceló tells a much bigger story about the failure of dolphin parks. Last year, US-based Miami Seaquarium was ordered to close following an investigation by authorities, while Marineland Antibes permanently shut its doors due to declining attendance and improved animal welfare regulations in France. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Luxury hotel shuts down attraction after 'living nightmare' in pool exposed
Disturbing video highlights the 'nightmare' conditions where a pair of dolphins have been housed for the amusement of cashed-up tourists. In the wild, the animals could travel up to 100km in a day, but instead they were kept in two concrete tanks no bigger than swimming pools. Heartbreakingly, the tanks at the Mexican hotel where they were confined were just metres from the Caribbean Sea near Cancún, a holiday destination popular with foreign travellers. Conditions at Dolphinaris Barceló at Barceló Maya Grand Resort were so concerning that this week it was ordered shut, and its gates were sealed by the government's environment protection agency PROFEPA. Outspoken activist Phil Demers has repeatedly shared aerial footage of the dolphins on his Urgent Seas social media channels and called for their release. Speaking with Yahoo News on Friday, he said the dolphins had been living in shadeless pens that were 'very shallow'. 'It was a living nightmare for all of the dolphins there. The size was disproportionately small for what they needed. It was absurd, frankly,' he said. 'One of the great tragedies is the contrast of the size of their pool against the vast ocean, which is just metres away. Conditions were awful.' An investigation into the facility was launched after a shocking moment at the park that was broadcast across social media in February, 2025 highlighting to the world how small the tanks were. Filmed five years ago and then stashed away, it showed a dolphin attempting to perform a trick, misjudging the edge of the pool, and then crashing onto the edge. That animal survived, and was moved to another facility, but he is now blind in one eye and has just 60 per cent vision in the other due to keratitis — a condition that causes inflammation of the cornea. PROFEPA said the facility in southwest Mexico's Quintana Roo had been closed due to 'various operational irregularities". They included a failure to report "dangerous incidents", acrobatic performances that endanger animals, unregulated water temperature, forcing animals to complete tricks when unwell, and problems with water temperature. BREAKING: The dolphin tank at Hotel Barcelo in Riviera Maya, Mexico has been permanently closed. Thank you to all the tireless advocates who fought so hard for this resolve. Now we must ensure the dolphins are responsibly removed and relocated. More to come. — @UrgentSeas (@urgentseas) May 13, 2025 Demers said the outcome highlights both the power of social media and the work of activists who protested there every day. 'This has gone on for far too long, but credit to the activists who never gave up. Sometimes there were only one or two protesters out front, but they never gave up,' he said. Now that the facility has been closed, the focus is turning to what happens to the dolphins. The most likely outcome is that they will be moved to another facility, sparking fresh concerns that their lives will continue down a sad path. 🥫 Airline passenger request raises questions about popular menu items 😳 Warning as massive Aussie predator spotted near popular children's playground 🤠 Deadly find on roadside in beachside suburb sparks wild theory According to Demers, the closure of Dolphinaris Barceló tells a much bigger story about the failure of dolphin parks. Last year, US-based Miami Seaquarium was ordered to close following an investigation by authorities, while Marineland Antibes permanently shut its doors due to declining attendance and improved animal welfare regulations in France. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
