Just because its legal doesn´t mean its not a disaster! This is the verdict of an ecologicist group as tens of great , old olives are torn up and taken away to be sold as as ornaments in garden centres or as firewood.
The ancient olives, in a “finca” near the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Hope in Calasparra, could be sold for as much as 6,500 euros for two, transport and replanting included, according to local sources.
The Association of Naturalists of the South East (ANSE) have described it as an irrepairable loss for the natural and cultural patrimony; a blow for the landscape; a slaughter of bioversity; and a slap in the face for those trying to promote tourism in North East Murcia based on the singularity of the rural landscape.
According to ANSE the cull took place on Saturday March 8 when 140 trees were dug up, loaded onto a lorry and taken away for sale to individuals, garden centres or directly as logs.
ANSE has sent a letter to the Mayor of Calasparra, Jesus Navarro, warning of the destruction of the olive groves and asking him to revise the urban regulations to remedy the situation.
“Independent of the regulation which affects areas covered by protection orders, the urban regulations should be looking to protect areas with natural and agricultural values as well as those with value for the landscape., among others, we believe this area shoud have been included and subject to some kind of protection,” says the letter.
