Case illustrates how legal personhood for ecosystems like the Mar Menor may cross national borders, suggesting potential for international ecological claims.
On 10 July 2025, the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance recognized the Spanish saltwater lagoon Mar Menor as a legal subject – at least to the extent of granting it access to environmental information. This decision followed a request for information submitted by the lagoon’s legal representative. The case demonstrates that the legal personhood of ecosystems can operate across national borders. Could ecosystems like the Mar Menor, in the future, bring damages actions against companies whose activities in another country cause ecological harm?
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Kerstensteiner et al. (2025) studied this question.
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