Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 nm zone): 231 813 km2
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 3 149 920 km2
Strategic documents related to MSP
Overview of MSP related maritime uses
Current main uses:
| Shipping | Ports |
| Oil and gas | Nature conservation |
| Fisheries | Aquaculture |
| Military | Scientific research |
| Coastal protection | Cables and pipelines |
| Tourism and leisure | Underwater cultural heritage |
Which marine spatial plans exist?
Name of the plan (year) |
Marine Ecological Planning of the Gulf of California |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
Regional |
Pre-planning |
Status: Complete |
Assessment for planning |
Status: Complete |
Plan development |
Status: Complete |
Plan completion |
Status: Complete |
Plan approval |
Status: Complete |
Plan implementation |
Status: Complete |
Plan review |
Status: N/A |
Name of the plan (year) |
Marine and Regional Ecological Planning of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
Regional |
Pre-planning |
Status: Complete |
Assessment for planning |
Status: Complete |
Plan development |
Status: Complete |
Plan completion |
Status: Complete |
Plan approval |
Status: Complete |
Plan implementation |
Status: Complete |
Plan review |
Status: N/A |
Name of the plan (year) |
Marine and Regional Ecological Planning of the Northern Pacific |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
Regional |
Pre-planning |
Status: Complete |
Assessment for planning |
Status: Complete |
Plan development |
Status: Complete |
Plan completion |
Status: Complete |
Plan approval |
Status: Complete |
Plan implementation |
Status: Complete |
Plan review |
Status: N/A |
Name of the plan (year) |
Marine and Regional Ecological Planning of the South Central Pacific |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
Regional |
Pre-planning |
Status: Complete |
Assessment for planning |
Status: Underway |
Plan development |
Status: N/A |
Plan completion |
Status: N/A |
Plan approval |
Status: N/A |
Plan implementation |
Status: N/A |
Plan review |
Status: N/A |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) |
Governmental funding |
Yes |
External funding |
No |
Public-private funding |
No |
Size of planning area |
3 149 920 km2 |
Time required to complete the planning document |
Approximately 6 years each (from formulation to decree) |
Main issued that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
Legislation National |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Entities of the federal public administration with competence in the administration and regulation of maritime affairs, academia, non-governmental organizations and organized society. There are coordination agreements for the four processes of marine ecological management under implementation |
Sectors included in planning |
Environment; Navy; tourism; communications and transport; energy; economy; fisheries; urban and territorial development |
Articulation between MSP and coastal zone management |
Integrated Coastal Zone Management is not defined in the current environmental legislation and is an exercise considered at a higher resolution scale than MSP |
Articulation between MSP and marine protected areas |
Yes, the MPAs are the basis for determining the areas of interest for conservation; they also form environmental management units |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
Legally they are not articulated, but there is a close relationship between the two instruments. |
Plan approval |
By Presidential or Sectoral Agreement, based on the determination of a Committee for Marine Ecological Management in which the competent bodies take part |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Mandatory for the federal public administration |
Plan review process |
Every five years |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
To be carried out |
Legal framework
- General Law of Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection (LGEEPA): article 5 fraction IX, article 20 BIS 6, article 20 BIS 7: The Secretariat [SEMARNAT] may formulate, issue and execute, in coordination with the competent agencies, marine ecological management programs. The purpose of these programs will be to establish the guidelines and provisions to which the preservation, restoration, protection and sustainable use of the existing natural resources in specific areas or surfaces located in Mexican marine zones, including adjacent federal zones, must be subject.
- Regulations of the LGEEPA on ecological management: article 1 fraction I, article 4 fraction II, chapter five, article 77
Contact
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
Sandra Esther Barillas Arriaga – Director of Ecological Management