Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea

Spain is one of the contries with the most pleasant climate, where the summer is always longer. The country fills up with tourists eager to spend their holidays in our little beach paradise, and the locals also move to the sea areas. We live in a country in which, thanks to the good climate, you can enjoy the beach and our waters for longer. But there is something very important that we must also take into account if we want to continue enjoying our wealth in summertime, and that is the pollution in the Mediterranean sea.

The Mediterranean Sea is very large, and its expanse has one of the highest pollution rates in the world. According to Greenpeace, the Mediterranean Sea supports more than 30,000 tons of waste. Moreover, it is a semi-enclosed sea, in which unlike the open sea, the process of water renewal is slower. Furthermore, bad practices in the Mediterranean Sea end up spreading to other waters and end up damaging the seas around the world. Therefore, we must not look after the sea and be responsible only when we are in Spain, but we must look after - and act on - the conservation of Mediterranean waters from any location.

The Mediterranean Sea is home to thousands of species of plants, animals, etc. And it is also an important source of natural resources. However, we are turning it into the main dump for human waste. 

One of the most polluting elements is plastic, and the Mediterranean is the sea with the most plastic pollution in the world, giving rise to large plastic islands in different parts of its extension. Furthermore, the plastics and cans that we throw into the sea injure and even kill thousands of marine species, either because they have ingested these contaminating elements or because they have been strangled with them.

The Mediterranean Sea suffers the consequences of the human race's poor waste management throughout the year, 78% of the sea's garbage is generated by us, but this is intensified in the summer season. 

In summer, maritime traffic and the volume of people on beaches increase. This is the time when most people go to sea and often commit reckless acts by throwing all kinds of rubbish into the sea, which then takes its toll, specifically by increasing the level of water pollution by 40%. We must therefore all reflect on this and take the appropriate measures throughout the year and especially in the summer, since it is in our hands to reduce the volume of pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.

It is logical that there are things that are not in our hands, such as the pollution of water by pesticides or toxic fluids from industry, but there are things that we can do. Simple actions such as reducing plastic consumption, conscious recycling, using biodegradable creams when we go to the beach, not throwing waste overboard when we go by boat, etc. can serve as examples.

In short, and now that summer is approaching, we must be aware and take extreme precautions in order to preserve our precious Mediterranean Sea and the life that grows in its waters. Let's help stop the pollution in the Mediterranean Sea!