Loreto Mayor Paz del Alma Ochoa Amador said the federal decree reclassifying the town’s port as a deep-water and cabotage facility could be repealed if the community continues to oppose the change. Speaking on local radio, Ochoa Amador confirmed that legal steps to challenge the decree are already underway within the applicable deadlines.
The decree, published on April 10 in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (Mexico’s federal register), redesignated the Port of Loreto as a “port of height and cabotage.” That classification enables the port to receive international maritime traffic, including large vessels and cruise ships. The federal Port Authority (API) and Harbor Master initiated the reclassification to streamline paperwork for international vessels visiting the small Gulf of California town.
No Infrastructure Projects Planned, Officials Say
The mayor stressed that no dredging, construction, or port expansion projects are currently attached to the decree. The API and the Loreto municipal government have described the change as an administrative step, not a development plan. Still, the reclassification shifts the legal framework governing maritime activity and waterfront development in Loreto, a town of roughly 16,300 residents that depends heavily on eco-tourism and sustainable fishing.
Ochoa Amador acknowledged that neither the municipal government nor local residents were consulted before the decree was published. City officials and community members learned about the reclassification on the day it appeared in the federal register.
Protests and Community Pushback
The announcement came after street protests last week, when residents and local tour operators marched against the designation. In an open letter, citizens demanded the decree’s cancellation and called for transparent public consultations on any project affecting Loreto’s territory. Protesters pointed to the area’s protected ecosystems, including Bahía de Loreto National Park and nearby reserves that shelter blue whales and other marine species.
Local fishing cooperatives and maritime operators have launched a legal review of the decree and are pushing for full environmental, social, and economic impact disclosures, according to the Nakawe Project, a conservation organization tracking the issue.
Governor Pledges Support for Revocation
The mayor said the governor of Baja California Sur has pledged to support revocation of the decree if the municipality formally disagrees. Dialogue sessions between residents, municipal officials, and the API have taken place in recent days, though no resolution has been announced.
Loreto, founded in 1697 as the first Spanish colonial settlement in the Californias, sits along the Sea of Cortez about 350 kilometers north of La Paz. Its economy centers on sport fishing, whale watching, and small-scale tourism rather than commercial shipping.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.