The massive fish death in a nature reserve in southeastern Spain is caused by the recently significantly expanded pig farms. Furthermore, the pollution of the Mar Menor, a saltwater lagoon in the Murcia region, is greater than previously thought.
Due to the explosive growth in pork exports to China, the number of slaughterhouses in Spain has increased significantly in recent years. Although local pig farmers claim to process their waste correctly, new research shows that a large amount of polluted waste ends up in the Spanish nature reserve.
Five years ago, environmental organizations first complained about the "green soup" the lake had become. Nearby farms were said to be releasing nitrates and phosphates into the water.
Their new research states that pig farms in the region are responsible for 17 percent of the nitrogen in the aquifer, a layer in the ground through which the water flows to the lake.
Moreover, the researchers have drone footage showing that farmers process pig waste in a harmful manner. Normally, the waste must be stored in sealed and waterproof pits. But the recordings reveal that wastewater from the manure pits is spraying out, directly running into the lagoon.
Interporc Spain, an organization representing the pig sector, emphasizes that the industry is making great efforts to operate without harming the environment and regrets the generalizations made about the pig industry.
However, activists believe those efforts are insufficient and took to the streets last week in various Spanish cities. They argue that 'Murcia should not become the toilet of Europe.'