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Date Published: 19/03/2025

Illegal irrigation in the Mar Menor almost completely stamped out

Almost 9,200 hectares of illegally irrigated Mar Menor farmland have now been restored

After years of struggling with illegal irrigation on farms surrounding the Mar Menor, the Murcian government has this week announced that the situation is firmly under control. The Mar Menor Inter-Administrative Commission, which includes representatives from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the wider Region of Murcia administration and local municipalities, has been working non-stop to crack down on unauthorised irrigation.

According to Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán, the cooperation between the different administrations has paid off. "We can say that we have managed to restore order to a large part of the activity in the area,” he said.

This is a major achievement, especially considering that nearly 9,200 hectares of land were being irrigated illegally.

While efforts to conserve the lagoon are ongoing, it’s fair to say that they’ve been redoubled this year, and the authorities have been tirelessly disconnecting these unlawful watering systems and inspecting local pig farms to make sure they’re not polluting the water.

The work appears to have paid off. Last month, a report confirmed that 56% of the illegal irrigation in the area had been restored to its original state, which represents 2,968 hectares in total, so in just a few weeks, huge inroads have been made.

Far from resisting the changes, Mr Morán insists that local farmers and ranchers are getting involved in the clean-up operation.

“This is a process of collective awareness in the sector, such that good practices are spreading,” he said.

Going forward, the hard work will continue to secure the future of the Mar Menor. The regional government has allocated €273 million to the project until 2040 and the Ministry has an additional €30 million to support the effort.

The crux of the project covers some 121,555 hectares of land stretching from Escalona and Altaona toward the southern area.

“The objective is to reduce runoff and the risk of floods that result in the introduction of all these sediments into the Mar Menor," the minister summed up.