“In this photo, I am taking local reporters to Ouira Bay on the west coast of Mexico, where my community's sacred sites are located. We catch shrimp and crabs here and collect snail shells to make crafts – a tradition that has been part of our indigenous culture for generations. I am a member of the Lázaro Cárdenas Yoreme Mayo community and work fisherman, but collaborate with scientists to collect samples of marine life for testing. We recently collected turtles for a nearby research center to test them for signs of infection. Heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury and selenium have been detected and we believe that industrial pollution is a major contributing factor.
Ohuira Bay is under threat. Since 2013, we have been fighting a proposal to build a huge ammonia production and storage plant on our shores.
The site lies within a network of coastal lagoons, islands and mangroves recognized globally as important for biodiversity. Researchers estimate that this plant can lead to a 60% reduction in shrimp numbers and an increase in water temperatures by 3°C. An increase in temperature of even 1°C can lead to the destruction of marine life.
The company promoting the project claims that the plant is safe and does not violate environmental laws. He did not respond to requests for comment.
