The European Green Party and EQUO support the Pacto por el Mar Menor coalition's call for the European Parliament to protect this unique area
Both formations consider the environmental disaster that occurred in the Mar Menor to be a failure of the EU's common protection policy
Mar Menor, in the southern Spanish region of Murcia, is the largest saltwater lagoon in Europe. Its situation is an environmental disaster that requires action at the municipal, national and European levels. The lagoon is a unique ecosystem of international importance and an important cultural milestone in Spain. Under increased tourism pressure, uncontrolled development of intensive agriculture, water desalination plants and poor waste management, the lagoon has long tipped over the brink of environmental crisis.
A Spanish coalition of NGOs led by Pacto por El Mar Menor has brought the issue to the Petition Committee of the European Parliament. The petitioners are asking the EU to support the protection of the area against these multiple threats.
The EU (and local authorities) need to deliver on providing the right environmental protection to this Natura 2000 area. The Greens will demand a fact-finding mission to evaluate whether effective protection has been enforced.
Evelyne Huytebroeck, co-chair of the European Green Party comments:
“Mar Menor is a symbolic area that urgently needs protection. Its unique ecosystem has been permanently damaged. We have recently seen photos showing thousands of dead fishes on the beaches of Mar Menor. This is the result of the lack of environmental protection at the regional and national level but also a European failure to protect these areas.”
Toñi Gómez, co-chair of EQUO, Spanish member party of the European Green Party adds:
“Mar Menor is a unique ecosystem capable of touching the heart of those who know it. Today, it is dying, victim of the voracity of some political representatives who have considered it a mere resource for the benefit of a few. Neither the salt lake nor the citizens of Murcia deserve this tragic end. We cannot accept the current situation and we will continue to fight to prevent the destruction of this valuable natural heritage, unique in Europe.”
For a detailed account of the situation: https://datadista.com/medioambiente/desastre-mar-menor/eng/
