Spanish Farmers Seek Changes to Mar Menor’s Legal Status Amid Environmental Controversy

In early July 2024, regional Spanish farming organisations COAG and UPA in Cartagena called on the regional government to modify the legal rights granted to the Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon. They argue that the legislation, which aims to protect the heavily polluted lagoon, has become a “sword of Damocles” for the agricultural sector, imposing restrictions that are out of touch with reality.
The farmers emphasised that they use the best available techniques to prevent groundwater pollution but feel the current law unfairly limits agricultural production and causes unnecessary hardships. They are advocating for a law that reflects a balance between environmental protection and agricultural needs, and they hope for changes based on common sense and scientific evidence.
The Mar Menor became the first ecosystem in Europe to be granted legal status as a person in September 2022, a move championed by Teresa Vicente, a professor of law at the University of Murcia. Vicente’s efforts earned her the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2024.
Farmers seek a broad social and parliamentary consensus, calling for regulations that address all activities impacting the lagoon, not just agriculture, to ensure a fair approach to its protection and recovery. Learn more here.