Landmark decision on mega poultry farm could mean ‘life or death’ of River Wye

An underwater shot of algae in the River Wye in Wales. Harmful algal blooms have been linked to pollution from poultry manure. Photograph: Alexander Turner/The Guardian

The Welsh government is under pressure to block a new mega chicken farm in the Wye catchment, in what campaigners call a “crucial moment in the life or death of the Wye”.

The River Wye has become synonymous with the intensive poultry industry, with more than 20 million chickens in its catchment area, producing more manure than the land can absorb and turning the river the colour of “pea soup”.