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Date Published: 24/01/2022
ARCHIVED - Scientists warn of serious problems in the Mar Menor this summer
Europe has called on the central and regional government of Murcia to work together to reduce pollution
The most precious natural gem in the Region of Murcia, the Mar Menor, is still a long way from receiving the investment and attention its rejuvenation needs, despite the local government getting a sharp slap on the wrist from Europe after the state of the salt water lagoon attracted national and international attention last summer.
Although funds have been pumped into the area by the central government, the experts believe that this will not be enough to remedy an already dying ecosystem, and scientists believe that this summer, the degradation of the Mar Menor will be right back to where it started.
According to the professor of Ecology at the UMH and spokesperson for the Scientific Committee of the Mar Menor, Ángel Pérez Ruzafa, the conditions are generally better in winter “because the temperatures are low and it reduces the metabolism of the ecosystem, but when summer arrives and the hours of sunshine increase, it will once again be in danger of anoxia.”
Without rapid and drastic intervention, the expert has warned that when the heat of the summer season arrives, eutrophication (the excessive accumulation of nutrients) will begin to take place once again, which will give way to a proliferation of fast-growing algae. A short time later the phytoplankton will develop and finally, a lack of oxygen in the water will lead to the death of fish populations, as happened in 2021.
The scientist’s warning comes after the European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius, published a plea on Twitter appealing to the Spanish authorities to “work closely together” and “take additional measures to protect” the Mar Menor.
Speaking directly to the president of the Murcia region, Fernando López Miras, last week, Mr Sinkevicius stressed that “we need to tackle pollution at its source, particularly nitrate pollution. To be successful, central, regional and local authorities must act together to restore this ecosystem without further delay.”
Follow up call with the President of 🇪🇸 #Murcia @LopezMirasF on the #MarMenor situation.
— Virginijus Sinkevičius (@VSinkevicius) January 11, 2022
We need to tackle pollution at source, particularly from nitrates.
To succeed, central, regional and local authorities must act together to recover this ecosystem without further delay. pic.twitter.com/gshOCLI0ku
Image 1: Virginijus Sinkevicius
Images 2,3 & 4: Archive
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