Galicia proposes two-year livestock moratorium in Limia basin

The Xunta de Galicia has proposed a two-year moratorium on the establishment or expansion of new livestock farms in the Limia river basin, located in Ourense. This measure is part of a draft decree aimed at reducing nitrate pollution of agricultural origin.

The prohibition applies to new pig, cattle, and poultry operations, as well as capacity increases for existing farms, in areas where runoff flows into the affected waters. Exceptions include small-scale poultry and pig farms for self-consumption, cattle farms for self-consumption of up to 1.2 livestock units, and applications submitted by young farmers.

The moratorium is intended to last a maximum of two years but may end sooner if vulnerable zones are officially declared and restoration action plans are approved, or if it is proven that the pollution no longer has a significant agricultural origin. This move follows legal rulings regarding toxic bacteria in the As Conchas reservoir, where the Supreme Court upheld a decision regarding the violation of residents' rights due to water contamination.