| Montreal, 7/09/2000 – The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has informed the Council of the CEC that it considers the development of a factual record is warranted with respect to a citizen submission regarding the Granjas Aquanova shrimp farm located in a mangrove and wetlands area of San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico (SEM-98-006).
The submission, brought forward by Grupo Ecológico Manglar, alleges that Mexico has failed to enforce effectively its General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente), the Forestry Act (Ley Forestal) and the Law of National Waters (Ley de Aguas Nacionales), among others, pertaining to the protection of jungles and tropical rainforests, particularly mangrove and migratory bird species; wastewater discharge, and provisions for prevention and control of water pollution and use; and provisions on fisheries and the introduction of an alien shrimp species.
The Secretariat informed the Council of its determination that a factual record is warranted on 4 August 2000 and is now, 30 days later, able to provide public notification of this fact, in accordance with Section 10(2) of the Guidelines for Submissions under Article 14 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).
Under Article 14 of NAAEC, the Secretariat may consider a submission from any person or nongovernmental organization asserting that a Party to NAAEC is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law. Where the Secretariat determines that the NAAEC Article 14(1) criteria are met, it may then proceed with a process that can lead to the development of a factual record on the matter. In accordance with Article 15(2) of NAAEC, the Secretariat shall prepare a factual record if the Council, by a two-thirds vote, instructs it to do so.
The CEC was established under NAAEC to address environmental issues in North America from a continental perspective, with a particular focus on those arising in the context of liberalized trade. The CEC Council, the organization's governing body, is composed of the environment ministers of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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