Latest update: 30/08/2011

- agriculture - environment - Fishing - France - Indonesia - New Zealand - pollution

The dark side of farming

This week we head to Brittany, the heartland of French pig farming and an agricultural powerhouse. But are the region's farmers responsible for the toxic green algae mounting along the coast?

ENVIRONMENT

By Mairead DUNDAS

We start with a report on the use of nitrogen fertilisers in the region. Ecologists blame excess nitrates from these fertilisers on the proliferation of the ‘green tides’ that recently killed dozens of wild boars and continue to deter tourists from visiting the beaches.

Next we head to New Zealand, where the government has lifted a ban on aquaculture. The decision has spurred criticism from locals who believe waste from new fish farms will spoil an idyllic paradise.

And finally, we look at Indonesia’s efforts to reverse the effects of blast fishing. The destructive practice has been destroying coral reefs, prompting a grassroots effort to build artificial ones made from concrete.

Mairead Dundas

Presenter

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Into the deep

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Dry Horizons

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Comments (1)

Eutrophication

by Anonyme - 15/09/2011 - 18:35

Thanks for this interesting story.
Run-off from farms allows nitrogen-rich fertilizers (natural manure or man made chemicals) to enter waterways. These same fertilizers then cause plants in the water to grow abundantly, especially very small and simple plants like plankton and algae. Their great growth overwhelms others in the water and disrupts the ecosystem, and soon other plants and sea creatures may no longer live in the area. Such areas of water are commonly called "dead zones" and now exist in many inland waterways and at many points where rivers meet the sea. In their quest for profits modern farmers are responsible for these and other environmental problems. Many years of hard work will be required to correct the problems the farmers have caused - and that we have supported by buying their products.

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