Posted ByJose Juan Dominguez Calderon on June 19, 2002 at 17:26:57:
As of January 1, 2002, in the Official Daily Paper of the Federation, the Federal Law of Rights was published which includes Article 198 that says:
" Article 198. For the use and enjoyment of the natural marine elements of the public domain existing inside natural protected areas under the responsibility of the Federation, a charge of $20 pesos will be paid per person, per day for recreational or tourist activities of autonomous diving, free diving, water skiing, and trips in motorized or non-motorized boats.
The obligation for payment of the fee will be for the holders of registrations, authorizations, permits or concessions for providing nautical or aquatic recreational services on behalf of each person. In the cases of the activities to which this article refers that are done without the participation of the persons holding the registrations, authorizations, permits or concessions for providing nautical or aquatic recreational services, the payment obligation will be for each individual...
...For purposes of this article, the following are considered to be natural protected areas:
West Coast Isla Mujeres National Park, Point Cancun and Point Nizuc
Puerto Morelas Reefs
Veracruz Reef System
Cape Pulmo
Alacranes Reefs
Bay of Loreto
Bay of Huatulco
Cozumel Reefs
Contoy Island and the rest of the existing and future natural protected areas
The income which is obtained from the collection of fees to which this article refers will be set aside for the vigilance, conservation and sustainable use of the natural protected areas.
The Treasurer of the Federation will reimburse the resources obtained from these fees within the month immediately following their collection to the same marine park which generated them so that they are used for the purposes established in the present article..."
In the text from the law, it is defined exactly where and who must pay, and where and for what the resources generated by this fee must be spent. They are subject to the same controls that the federal government has for every disbursement so that there is no possibility of misuse of funds without being subject to sanctions.
The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas and the Secretary of Internal Revenue and Public Credit, responsible for the National Parks and the Treasury of the Nation respectively, established a mechanism for charges by which the dive operators collect the fees from the tourist and deposit them in the bank under the name of the Treasurer of the Federation, with the deposit slip properly stamped, and then presented to the offices of the National Park and exchanged for tickets which must be delivered to the tourists who paid for them. For its part, the administration of the National Park, with a copy of the deposit slip received from the operator, asks the Secretary of Internal Revenue and Public Credit for a 100% refund of the money paid by the tourists to be applied to the Park's conservation programs.
So that the tourist is sure that the money he or she paid for access to the National Park is being utilized effectively for conservation programs, he or she should demand to have the ticket as proof.
Knowing the importance that your newsletter has, we ask that you spread this message among the parties interested in knowing how the money to access the National Park is being applied and how the natural attractions of Cozumel are being protected.
Equally, if you or anyone else has any question or comment, we would appreciate it if you would contact us at pmnczm@cozumel.com.mx or acozumel@conanp.gob.mx or in person at the offices of the National Park in Plaza del Sol, Altos, Cozumel, Q. Roo Mexico