Behind the worsening of the turbidity, transparency, chlorophyll and salinity levels of the Mar Menor in the last month, somewhat worse than those of an exact year ago, as well as the news that the salty lagoon is left, for the third consecutive year without blue flags, the SER chain has moved to the Mar Menor, to check, first hand, what it is the situation of its waters and its beaches. There we have been able to verify that There are still contributions of water from the Rambla del Albujón, that there are beaches where algae and mud accumulate, such as Punta Brava, and that the turbidity has become noticeable after the last rains, although the administrations call for calm.
The algae accumulate on the beach of Punta Brava
/ SER chain
The first stop on the route was the town of Punta Brava, next to Los Urrutias and El Carmolí, and belonging to the municipality of Cartagena. The houses on the beachfront have gone from being an idyllic place, to a real hell. Algae and sludge accumulate uncontrollably on a beach that has not been cleaned for a long time, not only preventing bathing, but also affecting the lives of neighbors. The strong smells and the proliferation of insects make life almost unbearable there, with many neighbors who have left their homes or decide not to spend the summer or put them up for sale.
–Juan Antonio Ortiz and José García attend SER
/ SER chain
Juan Antonio Ortiz, president of the Punta Brava Neighborhood Association, and José García, neighbor and member of the Association, told us about it. They say that the beach “has never been so bad” and complain about the proliferation of algae and the “abandonment of the administrations”, which have been cleaning the beach for weeks, although the rains of a few weeks ago brought numerous algae to the shore, now decomposing. They classify as impossible trying to get into the water, through the mud, in which you sink “up to your waist”.
Listen to an interview with Juan Antonio Ortiz and José García on the Punta Brava beach in Play SER
On the beachfront we find a children’s hostel, which receives children even from abroad, under the promise of beach and water activities. Because of the state of the beaches, the image offered abroad is “shameful” indicate the neighbors. In addition, they also especially denounce the abandonment of the Cartagena City Council, which, for example, It does not replace streetlights that break on the seafront.
–Children line up at the hostel, a few meters from a beach where bathing is impossible due to the huge presence of algae and strong smells
/ SER chain
Very close to Punta Brava, about two and a half kilometers, we find the mouth of the Rambla del Albujón. We have been able to verify that lThe water supplies to the Mar Menor from the promenade continue to exist, as well as a huge proliferation of plants and algae in the immediate vicinity, for the enormous wealth of nutrients. So much so that even a huge bank of mullets was located right at the mouth, taking advantage of the food source.
–A bank of mullets, in the mouth of the Rambla del Albujón
/ SER chain
The mouth itself is full of plants and reeds, which grow with impunity thanks to the rich soil and moisture, while still hundreds of meters from it, on the shore, we can see how algae and mosses accumulate, in addition to finding a fish and two dead seagulls. The turbidity of the water also draws attention.
–Algae accumulating along the shore, next to a dead fish
/ SER chain
A few kilometers away, in the municipality of Los Alcazares, we spoke with Santiago Pérez, president of the Association of People Affected by Floods of the municipality and farmer. We check in this case the good condition of the beach sand, but we continue to notice the turbidity, although, although it is windy, it is not a particularly windy day.
Pérez indicates that right now “more water is entering than ever, mainly from the aquifer”, which is overflowing, and which reaches the nitrate-laden lagoon. It recognizes the fault of the farmers in the current state of the lagoon, but indicates that they are taking measures, something that does not happen with the discharges of urbanizations or industrial estates. He also criticizes the management of the regional government and believes that the irrigation water that reaches an aquifer that is already overflowed should be controlled.
Listen to Interview with Santiago Pérez in Los Alcázares on Play SER
The last stop is made in Santiago de la Ribera, where we meet with the Minister for the Environment, Javier Celdrán. We also meet there with a good state of the sand, but with a turbidity that continues to be noticed.
–Santiago de la Ribera beach, with clean sand, but where the turbidity is also noticeable
/ SER chain
Celdrán blamed, in ‘Hoy por hoy Región de Murcia’, to the rains of the recent turbidity of the Mar Menor, due to the extra contributions of water and nutrients that it supposes, both directly and through emanations at the water table. He reiterates that there are no agricultural spills and asks the population not to be alarmed since the tendency of the Mar Menor is towards improvement. Also noteworthy is the “explosion of life” that has occurred in the last year in species such as seahorses or chirretes
–The Minister for the Environment, Javier Celdrán, attends Cadena SER in Santiago de la Ribera
/ SER chain
Regarding that the Mar Menor does not have a single blue flag for the third consecutive summer, Celdrán explains that the municipalities did not request this recognition, as they are “focused on the environment”, applying those measures “necessary for the recovery of the lagoon”. He also believes that it is necessary to “require the Ministry to apply the Zero Dumping Plan as soon as possible”, since the powers in this regard are national.
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