Hydrocarbon Spill Drill Conducted in Huatulco Sea

With the aim of strengthening response capacity and inter-institutional coordination in the face of possible maritime emergencies, a hydrocarbon spill drill was conducted today in Bahías de Huatulco, specifically in Santa Cruz Bay.
The activity was led by the Secretariat of the Navy, through the Mexican Navy and the Twentieth Naval Zone, in coordination with authorities from the three levels of government and with the participation of the private sector.
As part of the exercise, it was simulated that the vessel “Hermano Lobo” experienced a hydrocarbon spill near “La Blanquita,” which allowed the activation of emergency protocols and the deployment of maritime and land units for immediate attention. This was a controlled event, designed to practice procedures and strengthen coordination among participating institutions.
During the drill, actions were implemented to safeguard human life at sea, as well as to contain the spill using specialized barriers and absorbent materials and their proper final disposal. Likewise, potential impacts on marine flora and fauna, as well as on high-traffic tourist areas, were evaluated, with the participation of service provider vessels and organizations linked to health, security, maritime traffic control, and environmental protection.
A Unified Command was established under the Incident Command System, assigning specific functions in terms of security, operations, planning, and logistics, in addition to setting up working tables for information review and responsibility assignment.
At the end of the activities, a comprehensive evaluation and feedback of the exercise were carried out, with the purpose of optimizing response capacity in a real emergency and reinforcing the commitment to the protection of the marine environment and the safety of society.