Spain's Mar Menor lake is suing its abusers

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The highly saline and heavily polluted Mar Menor lake on the Spanish Mediterranean coast has become the first ecosystem in Europe to have its legal status as a person and with enforceable rights.

This was approved by the Senate in the capital, Madrid, by a large majority, after the approval of the House of Representatives, and the lake was able to sue those who assaulted it and file cases before the Spanish judiciary.

With the end of the legislative procedure and its publication in the Official Gazette, the lake, with the help of lawyers, has the right to appeal now to the judiciary if it is suspected that the rights of the largest saltwater lake in Europe have been violated.

The shallow Mar Menor lake has been under threat for decades, mainly due to intensive agriculture, mining and tourism.

Excessive fertilization of agricultural land increases algae growth.

Lack of oxygen can lead to mass deaths of fish and other aquatic animals, especially during heat waves.

The water temperature in the Mar Menor soared to more than 31 degrees Celsius in August, during the unusually hot summer in Spain and large parts of Europe.

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