Amnesty granted to illegal Spanish strawberry farmers despite protests over damage to wetlands

Andalucian decision to regularise' land near Donana national park attacked by ecology groups

Rightwing MPs in southern Spain have ignored protests from the central government, the EU, Unesco and several ecological groups by voting to grant an amnesty to illegal strawberry farmers who have been tapping water from the aquifer that feeds one of Europe's largest protected wetlands.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Andalucian regional parliament approved the proposal, which will regularise" 1,461 hectares (3610 acres) of land near the Donana national park, thereby allowing farmers who have sunk illegal wells and built illicit plantations on the land to legitimise their operations.