Protest against environmental policy: Huge human chain around the Mar Menor

Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon is about to collapse: Tons of dead fish are washed up on the beaches of the Mar Menor – the reason is intensive agriculture. Now 70,000 people have protested against environmental policy.

In protest against one of the worst environmental tragedies in Spain in recent years, 70,000 people symbolically embraced Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon. They formed a human chain around the entire Mar Menor, 73 kilometers, reported Spanish media.

Participants wore black T-shirts to express their grief over the destruction of the environment. They called on politicians to do something about the situation. A minute’s silence was also observed for the thousands of animals that fell victim to the water pollution. An alliance of nature conservation groups and local residents called for the action.

Five tons of dead lagoon inhabitants

Within the past week, around five tons of dead fish and crustaceans had been washed up on the beaches of the Mar Menor, the “Little Sea”, in the Murcia region in southeastern Spain. It wasn’t the first bad incident in what was once a nature and vacation paradise. Almost two years ago, for example, around three tons of dead lagoon inhabitants – mainly small fish and crabs – were washed up.

The cause of the mass extinction of fish is so-called eutrophication. It is caused by human activity. Due to the industrial agriculture in the region, low-content mud repeatedly gets into the lagoon, complain environmentalists. Nitrates and phosphates ensure that algae spread massively and deprive other plant species, fish and small organisms of oxygen.

High temperatures accelerate eutrophication. A few days ago they rose to over 40 degrees in the Murcia region. This makes the water in the Mar Menor warmer and the oxygen content decreases even further.

Government decided on conditions

The Mar Menor was once considered one of the most beautiful areas in Spain. Today there is mostly only a “green soup” to be seen, which gives off a rotten stench. The conservative regional government and the left central government blame each other.

Environmentalists primarily pillory those responsible in Murcia. The regional government is doing nothing against the intensive agriculture in the immediate vicinity of the lagoon, which is the main culprit for the problems. In the wake of the disaster and protests, the regional government decided this week to set some environmental requirements for the area, but environmentalists rejected it as insufficient.

With information from Oliver Neuroth, ARD Studio Madrid