(ORDO NEWS) — The Senate in Madrid granted legal personality rights to the Mar Menor lagoon.
In particular, the right to life, health protection, development and restoration. All in order to save the ecosystem from pollution.
Europe‘s largest salt water lagoon, the Mar Menor, has been hit hard in recent years by agricultural runoff from nearby farms.
Fertilizer pollution has led to the near extinction of fan mussels, as well as the death of large numbers of crabs, eels and seahorses.
Local residents, concerned about the millions of corpses of marine life on the shore, went to extreme measures.
It all started with a petition
Activists began collecting signatures to grant the 135-square-kilometer lagoon individual rights. The petition was signed by about 640,000 Spanish citizens. Then the document went to the authorities.
A total of 230 senators voted in favor of the new law and only three voted against it. On the other hand, the far-right Vox party tried to reject the petition but failed.
Lagoon rights
Now Mar Menor has a legal right to exist, natural development and restoration. Like a person, the ecosystem will be represented by a committee that will act as the legal guardian.
Her guardians will be able to sue those who threaten the health and development of the lagoon.
Conservationists hope that such measure
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