Parley Mexico currently operates in multiple locations across the Yucatán Peninsula – working in collaboration with more than 30 local groups, government institutions, universities, social organizations and the private sector. As a hotspot for biodiversity, the interception of marine plastic pollution is crucial to the survival of endangered species in this beautiful region.

“Intercepting plastic pollution in the most important beaches for sea turtle nesting helps to reduce the threat of rising temperatures in the nests – supporting the protection of endangered species such as the hawksbill sea turtle and green sea turtle.”

Alejandro Rodríguez – Parley Mexico

PROTECTING WILDLIFE in THE YUCATÁN

Ever year on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, four of the planet’s seven species of sea turtle come to nest amid the area’s beaches and dunes. Hawksbills, green sea turtles, loggerheads and leatherback sea turtles all prefer areas where there is no artificial light and noise, and places where the dunes and their vegetation are well preserved. Unfortunately, these more remote areas are often the most polluted by marine plastic waste.

To help increase their chances for survival – and safeguard seabirds and other species – Parley has been working in collaboration with local organizations and volunteers to organize cleanup initiatives in Mexico, with a focus on the Yucatán Peninsula and the fragile ecosystems of the Area de Protección de Flora y Fauna (APFF) Yum Balam, APFF Isla Cozumel, Parque Nacional Isla Contoy and Parque Nacional Tulum.

WORKING IN Mangroves & Cenotes

Crisscrossing Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, a vast system of limestone caves forms a unique underwater world linking the region’s forests, mangroves and towns to offshore coral reefs and the Caribbean Sea beyond. In collaboration with the Benito Juarez Municipality, CONANP (the National Commission for Natural Protected Areas of Mexico) andand other local organizations, Parley Mexico works to intercept plastic and other solid waste from cenotes and mangroves. These important ecosystems provide habitat in the coastal city of Cancun to wildlife like resident and migratory birds and crocodiles; and are directly interconnected to the underground water system and the unique Mesoamerican Reef System.

Education

As part of our global Parley AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign), Parley is leading education initiatives with Mexican youth. In collaboration with several Universities, Parley Mexico is implementing an awareness program working with students by analyzing plastic use at home and activating youth and their families to avoid it. These collaborations have also allowed us to do plastic monitoring in sandy beaches, analyze the data and develop reports.

FISHING NET INTERCEPTION & UPCYCLING INITIATIVE

Ghost gear (fishing nets and other equipment that has been abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded) is the deadliest type of debris for marine animals and has the potential for the greatest negative economic impacts on coastal communities. At least 800,000 tons of it ends up in the oceans annually – although the actual amount is likely far higher.

Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Parley’s Mexico AIR Marine Debris Mitigation Initiative collects derelict fishing gear from 16 fishing communities in the States of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Campeche and Yucatán in the Gulf of Mexico and Quintana Roo in the Mexican Caribbean. Working again with CONANP, the vast project stretches across 17 Marine Protected Areas along 4,470 km of coastline, and aims to provide a local end-to-end solution for monofilament nylon nets by upcycling them locally. Cleanups and local education projects are key, with a focus on coastal communities, university students and fishers.

PARLEY AIR Tourism Initiative – Quintana Roo

This new outreach project focuses on the tourism sector in the Mexican Caribbean islands of Quintana Roo state. The objective is to increase the degree of awareness about plastic pollution and reduce the consumption of plastics in travel businesses that operate in designated new ‘plastic exclusion zones’. Local residents, visitors, trade networks and environmental authorities are consulted and involved in program activities, and so far 20 local businesses have been certified. Parley Mexico runs education workshops for managers, focusing on plastic’s impact on businesses and the environment, the importance of waste auditing and proper management, and how to implement plastic avoidance strategies. In addition, ten multilingual public information boards have been installed to increase awareness about the Holbox and Cozumel Plastic Exclusion Zone designations and the benefits of reducing plastic usage and disposal in these fragile ecosystems.

Learn more and join the program
(Page in Spanish)


SUPPORT OUR WORK IN MExico

Your support helps us tackle plastic pollution and other threats facing the oceans. All donations go directly to our global teams, helping to fund cleanups, education and infrastructure projects.

PARLEY Mexico 🇲🇽

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Parley’s global network works to protect marine environments from plastic pollution and other threats. Through collaborative cleanups with local businesses and organizations, our teams and volunteers intercept plastic waste from beaches, remote islands, rivers, mangroves and coastal communities. Each country team shares our vision for healthier oceans globally, and works locally to champion the Parley AIR Strategy.

Since the inception of Parley for the Oceans, we’ve been able to intercept over 8.1 million kg of debris from the environment and coastal communities across the globe with the help of over 574,000 volunteers. We’ve also launched an extensive educational program, both virtual and physical. Our global cleanups and educational initiatives have reached over 1 million participants across 57 different countries and counting.


Thank you to all our Collaborators in Mexico!

Acción Isla

Administración Portuaria Integral de Quintana Roo (APIQROO)

Aguakan

Alcaldía de Chiquilá y Brigada Comunitaria

Amigos de Sian Ka'an A.C.

Area de Protección de Flora y Fauna Isla Cozumel (APFFIC)

Area de Protección de Flora y Fauna Manglares de Nichupté (APFFMN)

Area de Protección de Flora y Fauna Yum Balam (APFFYB)

Asociación de Hoteles de Holbox

Barracuda Board Co.

Brigada Ixpalbarco

Brigada de Monitoreo Manglares de Nichupté

CETMAR 10 Chetumal

CETMAR 11 Ensenada

Capitania De Puerto Isla Mujeres

Casa Wayuú A.C.

Centinelas del Agua A.C.

Centro Mexicano De Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA)

Centro de Acopio de Materiales Reciclables de Cozumel (CAMAR)

Club De Playa Albatros

Colegio Alamos

Colegio Irlandés St. Patrick

Colegio de Bachilleres Plantel Ciudad Mujeres

Colegio de Bachilleres Plantel Isla Mujeres

Colegio de Ingenieros

Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP) - Dirección Regional

Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA)

Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO-Naturalista)

Comité Ambiental Laguna Manatí

Comité Av. La Luna Cancún

Comité de Vigilancia Comunitaria Mar De Las Antillas

Comité de Vigilancia Comunitario Sian Ka'an

Comité de Vigilancia y Educación Ambiental Río Chacmochuch

Comunidad de Las Coloradas

Cooperativa Turística Punta Allen

Cooperativa Turística Adolfo López

Cooperativa Turística Nativos

Cozuclean

Croco Cun Interactive Zoo

DH Bus Project - Fundación Cinepolis

Delegación de Punta Allen

Diego’s Tour Embarcación: Jesusito

Dirección De Ecología del H. Ayuntamiento de Benito Juárez

Dirección De Ecología del H. Ayuntamiento de Tulum

Dirección de Desarrollo Urbano, Medio Ambiente y Ecología del H. Ayuntamiento de Othón P. Blanco Integradora Mexicana Ambiental Tierra Antigua (IMATA)

Dirección de Medio Ambiente y Ecología, H. Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres

Ecoguardas

El Pueblito Hotel

Elementum

Embarcación Bómbola

Escuela Secundaria Cecilio Chi

Escuela Secundaria Técnica Número 9, “Francisco Hernández de Córdoba”,

Estoy Más Cerca Que Nunca A.C.

Everything Isla

Explora Caribe

Fisherman Lodge Hotel

Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (FONATUR)

Fotógrafos Nikon

Fundación De Parques Y Museos De Cozumel

Grupo Especializado de Trabajo en Educación, Consejo Cuenca, (CONAGUA)

Grupo Hazlo Hoy

Grupo Oh My Dog

Grupo Raíces De La Laguna

Grupo Scout Alux 17

Grupo Tortuguero del Caribe

H. Ayuntamiento de Cozumel

Holbox Extreme

Hotel Amaité

Hotel Casa Maya

Hotel Dreams Tulum

Hotel El Pueblito

Hotel Izin

Hotel Kristal Cancun

Hotel Las Nubes Holbox

Hotel Secrets

Industria Salinera de Yucatán

Isla Verde

Izla

JAM Cruice 17, Norwegian Jade

Jardín De Niños Kaambal

Jornadas De Conciencia

La Esquina

La Gas

Lingard Yoga

Manolos Tour

Manta Trust, Mexican Caribbean

Mar Sustentable

Maya Hotel Residence

Mundo Ecológico Holbox

Oasis Skate Shop Isla Mujeres

Operadoras Turísticas De Las Coloradas

PIMSA

Parque Garrafón

Parque Nacional Arrecifes Xcalak (PNAX)

Parque Nacional Costa Occidental Isla Mujeres Punta Cancún Y Punta Nizuc (PNCOIMPCPN)

Parque Nacional Isla Contoy (PNIC)

Parque Nacional Tulum (PNT)

Planetario de Cancún

Planetario de Playa Del Carmen

Plant For The Planet

Plaza Las Américas Playa del Carmen

Pocna Dive Centre

Prestadores de Servicios Turísticos de Akumal

Procuraduría de Protección al Ambiente de Quintana Roo (PPA)

Promotora Ambiental Cozumel (PASA)

Pronatura Península de Yucatán (PPY)

Protección Civil Cancún

Punta Allen Limpio

Reciclatón Tulum

Remy Cointreau

Rentadora Joaquín

Reserva De La Biosfera Banco Chinchorro (RBBCH)

Reserva De La Biosfera Sian Ka'an (RBSK)

Reserva de La Biosfera Río Lagartos (RBRL)

Reserva de la Biosfera Caribe Mexicano (RBCM)

Scuba Musa

Secretaría De Medio Ambiente Y Ecología (SEMA) - Educación

Secretaría De Medio Ambiente Y Ecología (SEMA) - Educación

Secretaría De Medio Ambiente Y Ecología (SEMA) - Residuos Sólidos

Secretaría de Marina (SEMAR)

Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Ecología (SEMA)

Secretaría de la Defensa (SEDENA)

Secundaria Cielo Nuevo

Servicios Públicos Municipales De Tulum

Servicios Públicos Municipales H. Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres

Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera "Justicia Social"

Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Andres Quintana Roo

Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Cabo Catoche

Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Langosteros del Caribe

Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Mar De Las Antillas

Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Pescadores de Banco Chinchorro

Solucion Integral de Residuos Solidos (SIRESOL)

Subdelegación De Puerto Juárez

Ta'Akin

The Lighthouse Project

The Ritz Carlton- Community Footprint

Tortugranja Isla Mujeres

Tortugueros De La Dirección De Ecología Tulum

Tránsito Municipal H. Ayuntamiento de Benito Juárez

Turística Moguel

Universidad Autónoma del Carmen (UNACAR)

Universidad Juárez Autónoma De Tabasco (UJAT)

Universidad Politécnica De Quintana Roo (UPQROO)

Universidad Tecnológica de Cancún (UT Cancun)

Universidad Veracruzana (UV)

Universidad de Quintana Roo (UQROO)

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

University of Georgia

University of Texas, Marine Science Institute

VIP Holbox

Voluntariado Cinépolis

Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre (ZOFEMAT) Benito Juárez

Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre (ZOFEMAT) Isla Mujeres Dirección De Ecología del H. Ayuntamiento de Isla del Carmen

Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre (ZOFEMAT) Tulum