Spain: Around 4.5 tons of dead fish pulled from Europe's largest saltwater lagoon

Around 4.5 tons of fish have been removed from waters of Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, Mar Mer, after a mass die-off due to high temperatures and pollution. According to local media reports, authorities and environmentalists have said that re is a lack of oxygen in lagoon due to a heatwave a few days ago that brought Murcia region temperatures well above 40 degrees celsius in certain parts. 

Fernando Lopez Miras, who is head of Murcia’s government, reportedly sent a letter to Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and called for “immediate convening” of a crisis meeting to decide on measures to save inland body of water that has been plagued by ecological problems for years. In letter, Miras said that after several incidents in recent years, Mar Mer must be declared a disaster area. 

Experts have explained that problem is eutrophication, which is a harmful accumulation of nutrients in water caused by human activities that lead to a proliferation of algae and bacteria that deprive or species of ir livelihood. regional government has blamed wear and central government, which provide little support. However, environmentalists believe that regional government also does thing about intensive agriculture in immediate vicinity of lagoon that's mainly to blame for problems.

Spain’s heatwave 

Meanwhile, temperatures had hit a maximum of 46 degrees Celsius (115F) in Spain last week, when country sweltered on hottest day of year. Almost entire nation was on red alert for fire risk. Accusing human population of being reason behind climate change leading to increase global temperature, scientists said that heatwaves will become more common and powerful in coming days.  

A heatwave fueled by hot air from rth Africa devoured vast belts of Mediterranean, causing ermous wildfires and killing several people in Italy, Turkey, Greece and Algeria. Due to severe blaze, three of Spain's 17 regions were on high alert for extreme heat. On or hand, Portugal's meteorological service said that because of flames in country, centre and rth, as well as sections of sourn Algarve province were at "highest" risk.  

(Im: Twitter)