Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2025

Daily Sabah - Latest & Breaking News from Turkey | Istanbul

  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

Thousands protest as Spain's Mar Menor hit with marine disaster

by French Press Agency - AFP

MADRID Aug 29, 2021 - 5:36 pm GMT+3
For the fourth day, dead fish continue to appear on the beaches of La Manga del Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, Aug. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
For the fourth day, dead fish continue to appear on the beaches of La Manga del Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, Aug. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Aug 29, 2021 5:36 pm

A crowd of tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday around Spain's crisis-hit Mar Menor lagoon and formed a human chain in a show of mourning after one of Spain's worst environmental tragedies in recent years as tons of dead fish washed ashore, organizers and officials said.

One of Europe's largest saltwater lagoons, the Mar Menor, has long been a draw for tourists but is slowly dying as a result of agricultural pollution, with millions of fish and crustaceans dying over the past two weeks. Images of dead fish have traumatized this southeastern coastal region, with locals and tourists turning out to join the mass mourning.

Footage from the scene showed huge lines of people, many in beachwear, holding hands along the waterfront on Alcazares beach, which stretches six kilometers, and another part of the lagoon's 73-kilometer (45-mile) shoreline.

"It was an act of mourning for the death of the animals ... we wanted people to somehow ask their forgiveness for the barbarity we've inflicted on them," Jesus Cutillas, one of the organizers, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Residents of La Manga del Mar Menor attempt to block the 'Vuelta Ciclista a Espana' cycling event as they protest against dead fish that washed ashore at Murcia's Mar Menor lagoon over the past few days, Murcia, Spain, Aug. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
Residents of La Manga del Mar Menor attempt to block the "Vuelta Ciclista a Espana" cycling event as they protest against dead fish that washed ashore at Murcia's Mar Menor lagoon over the past few days, Murcia, Spain, Aug. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)

"For days, we've witnessed the death of millions and millions of fish and seeing all that unnecessary death hurts."

"The aim was to express our regret for what has happened and show our determination that it never happens again."

Many people wore black, and others held up banners reading: "SOS Mar Menor."

Organizers estimate up to 70,000 people joined the protest.

Dead fish and crustaceans collected by municipal workers on the shore of 'Cala del Pino' beach are seen in a bucket, in Murcia's Mar Menor lagoon, Spain, Aug. 20, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
Dead fish and crustaceans collected by municipal workers on the shore of "Cala del Pino" beach are seen in a bucket, in Murcia's Mar Menor lagoon, Spain, Aug. 20, 2021. (Reuters Photo)

15 tons of fish, algae

Experts say the fish suffocated due to a lack of oxygen caused by hundreds of tons of nitrates from fertilizers leaking into the waters, causing a phenomenon known as eutrophication that collapses aquatic ecosystems.

On Monday, regional officials said they had removed between 4.5 and 5.0 tons of fish, but by Saturday that had risen threefold to 15 tons of fish and algae.

"The 15 tons of dead fish and biomass (removed from the shore) show that this is indeed an environmental catastrophe and emergency. We need immediate help for the ecosystem," tweeted Noelia Arroyo, mayor of the nearby town of Cartagena.

Municipal workers try to clean the beach of dead fish that continue to appear for the fourth day in La Manga del Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, Aug. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
Municipal workers try to clean the beach of dead fish that continue to appear for the fourth day in La Manga del Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, Aug. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)

Pedro Garcia, director of regional conservation organization Asociacion de Naturalistas del Sureste (ANSE), said this week that environmental groups feared the marine death toll was more than twice the figure given on Monday by the authorities.

"Within that 15-ton figure, there will certainly be at least two or three tons of dead vegetation, but we have no way of knowing for sure," he told AFP on Saturday.

At the lagoon on Wednesday, Environment Minister Teresa Ribera accused the regional government of turning a blind eye to farming irregularities in the Campo de Cartagena, a vast area of intensive agriculture that has grown tenfold over the past 40 years.

But agricultural groups insist they comply scrupulously with environmental legislation.

  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Aug 30, 2021 9:56 am
    KEYWORDS
    environment spain mar menor lagoon dead fish agriculture pollution environmental disaster
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Holy journey: Muslims flock to Mecca for hajj
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • DS TV
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021