Spain tightens fertilizer rules after dead fish clog lagoon

MADRID (AP) — Spanish authorities are expanding a ban on harmful fertilizers around a saltwater lagoon on the country’s Mediterranean coast, where over the past 10 days several tons of dead fish have washed up. The regional government of Murcia, southeast of Madrid, announced Wednesday that the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers at farms around the Mar Menor lagoon is to be prohibited. Some of those fertilizers can cause algae blooms, which deplete oxygen in surface water. Murcia is one of Spain’s main producers of fruit and vegetables, with much of the produce exported to northern Europe. The lagoon is a well-known beauty spot and popular for vacations.