The National Port System Administration (Asipona) Manzanillo refuted reports suggesting the start of dredging work in the Cuyutlán Lagoon as part of the New Port of Manzanillo project , stating that any work related to this infrastructure will only begin once all the corresponding environmental authorizations are in place, including the approval of the Regional Environmental Impact Statement (MIA-R) .
The statement comes after Proceso magazine published information over the weekend indicating the alleged start of dredging activities in the lake basin without yet having the federal environmental permits, a situation that sparked questions about the development of the mega-port project being promoted in Manzanillo.
In response, the port authority denied that dredging work is currently being carried out in the lagoon and maintained that the claims that there are already interventions directly related to the New Port of Manzanillo are unfounded.
The port authority clarified that the movements of machinery and equipment observed in the area correspond exclusively to authorized cleaning and maintenance work of the access channel , activities for which, it assured, there are permits issued by the competent authorities.
With this, the maritime terminal sought to differentiate the operational conservation work currently being carried out in the port area from the structural works associated with the expansion project in the Cuyutlán Lagoon , one of the most relevant strategic developments for the Mexican port system in the coming years.
The Secretariat of the Navy , the agency under which Asipona Manzanillo operates, also reiterated its commitment to compliance with environmental regulations and maintained that activities related to the New Port will only proceed under the regulatory framework established by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources .
The New Port of Manzanillo project envisions the development of new logistics and maritime infrastructure in the Cuyutlán Lagoon to expand the operational capacity of the country’s main container port, which in 2025 moved 3,893,357 TEUs (20-foot containers) , although the project’s progress has been accompanied by public and environmental attention due to the ecological sensitivity of the area where the expansion is planned.
Finally, the port authority called on the port community and the public to stay informed through the official channels of the Secretariat of the Navy and Asipona Manzanillo, and to avoid spreading unverified information about the project.
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