Less crops and fewer cows could solve nitrate problem

The sound agricultural practices laid out in the Biosphere Reserve Agricultural Contract (CARB) have not been sufficiently effective to protect the "Migjorn" water source which supplies Ciutadella and the southern half of the island with drinking water. Miquel Camps, who is responsible for the ecological group GOB's Land Policy, states that, with the CARB and soil analysis, the first step has been taken, but complains that the Balearic Government is still providing incentives to the island's dairy farmers to increase their herds. These offers have been taken up by many farms which have added to their livestock to the extent that the waste matter produced cannot be absorbed. Camps also points out that the more water used, the lower the water reserves fall and the greater the risk of contamination; and that as much, if not more, water is being used to irrigate crops than as drinking water for the population and tourists. He views the demarcation of vulnerable areas as positive and something long demanded by the European Union.

Antoni Rodríguez, the Government's Director General of Water Resources, also views the act favourably but believes it needs to be accompanied by sound agricultural practice. For this reason, information leaflets, yet to be distributed, have been produced by the Balearic Department of Agriculture.

Menorca's Director for Agriculture, Clara Fullana, claims that the act will not mean a radical change in the Island Council's policies as they have already being working, through the CARB, on encouraging environmental protection and financial savings in dairy and crop farming. She points out the European agriculture policy is to have fewer dairy farms and more environmental awareness.

Unsurprisingly, the agricultural sector is tired of being blamed for the state of the aquifers and state that the fault is not theirs alone. They point out that the areas shown on the plan as being at most risk correspond to woodland or urban areas where there are few, or even no, farms. The President of the Farmers' Union, FAGME, explains that nowadays farms are dealing adequately with waste matter and using fertilisers more sparingly.

The agricultural sector suggest that nitrate contamination could also be due to urbanisations, market gardens or sewage farms, but that it would be more difficult to analyse and regulate these.