LA PAZ, Mexico— More than 30 conservation organizations today called on UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature to take urgent action against the Saguaro LNG project proposed in Puerto Libertad, Sonora.
If developed, the project will severely threaten the marine wildlife and natural beauty the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California World Heritage Site was designated to protect.
“Mexico is incredibly lucky to have the wondrous Gulf of California, and threatening that unique environment with a fossil fuel project is complete recklessness,” said Alex Olivera, senior scientist and Mexico representative at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Ship strikes kill whales around the world, yet this harmful development would bring huge LNG tankers into one of the few regions where whales have historically found relative safety. The international community needs to step up and defend the ‘world’s aquarium’ and its precious wildlife. The Gulf of California is irreplaceable, and we won’t stand by while it’s sacrificed for corporate profits.”
The project, proposed by the U.S. utility company Mexico Pacific, would transport liquefied natural gas from the U.S. Permian Basin to a massive Mexican LNG facility in Sonora called Saguaro Energía, before the LNG is exported to Asian markets. Increased ship traffic and industrial activity in the Gulf of California — one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems — would pose dire consequences for marine life and protected areas.
The site, often called the “aquarium of the world,” is home to 43 species of marine mammals, including one-third of the world’s whale and dolphin species. Among these, eight species are classified as threatened, highlighting the region’s ecological significance and the urgent need for conservation efforts.
Increased LNG tanker traffic would put blue whales, fin whales, sperm whales and other mammals at heightened risk of ship strikes, noise pollution and habitat degradation.
The Saguaro LNG project also poses significant climate threats. LNG is a major source of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term. The project’s construction and operation would accelerate climate change by increasing the use of LNG, further threatening marine ecosystems.
Conservationists are urging the World Heritage Committee to conduct an urgent assessment of the project’s risks. They are also calling on Mexico to halt Saguaro LNG’s development until a thorough environmental review can be conducted and safeguards are put in place.
