Rich kids' party in Veracruz kills dozens of turtles

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A group of people broke environment laws by hosting a party on an island that belongs to the Veracruz Reef System National Park (Pnsav) area, a protected natural area ( ANP ).

The international environmental group, Shea Shepherd México , shared a series of videos where the attendees can be seen at a party in the Salmedina island . The images show the set up of tents on the shore and yachts; music can be heard as well.

The environmental group focuses on the conservation of turtles in Mexico , denounced the events, as the people partied over the nesting areas of turtles in danger of extinction, besides damaging the reefs to place their yachts.

The Pnsav is under a management program that that establishes that “removing, filling up, transporting, mowing, or carrying out any kind of activity that affects the original ecosystems, the native species, their nesting, reproduction, refugee, and feeding areas” is banned.

Therefore, the installation of the tents clearly violates the turtle's nesting area, as the video shows the party-goers stepping on nests, almost stepping on baby turtles, and throwing others into the sea.

Olga Díaz Ordaz Terrones

, president of the Fundación Chalchi and a member of the PNSAV's Council , said it is urgent that the island is closed to the disembarkment of yachts and recreative boats, in the face of the lack of surveillance by the authorities.

The president of the environmental group, Bocalverme , Gaspar Monteagudo Hernández , asked the authorities to investigate those who hosted a party in an area that is supposedly guarded by Mexico's armed marine corps.

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