Vote: Should a wee in the sea be banned?

Wees in the sea have been banned by a city in Spain.

Officials in Vigo, a city on the north west coast of Spain, say that people who ignore the new rules and take a leak in the ocean will be fined up to £645!

It's not yet clear how these fineable wees in the sea will be monitored.

But Vigo's new rule had us wondering - is it bad to wee in the sea?

Humans aren't the only animals that like a tinkle in the ocean

Is weeing in the sea bad for the environment?

Human urine is typically made up of up to 96% water.

This means that the amount of waste in urine is very small by comparison to the amount of water.

According to the US's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they estimate that there is 321,003,271 cubic miles of ocean water on the planet.

So scientists say that the risk of harm to the natural environment (and to nearby swimmers) from human wee is very, very small.

And let's not forget, it's not just humans that like a casual sea wee!

There are millions and millions of aquatic animals doing the exact same thing every single day!

But while the occasional human wee is a manageable amount of urine in natural waters, there is a separate issue of companies dumping sewage in our seas, lakes and oceans which is an environmental concern.

Are there any places I shouldn't wee?

There are some protected places like coral reefs and lakes where weeing may be discouraged.

And it goes without saying that weeing in a public space like a swimming pool or water park is not allowed.

While most pools are cleaned regularly using chemicals like chlorine, weeing in a public pool or water park is thought to be pretty gross and unhygienic.

So if you're swimming and feel the need to answer the call of nature, it's best to hot foot it to your nearest toilet before you're caught short.

If you can't see the vote, click here.

Vote: Should weeing in the sea be banned?

Environmental scientists are not concerned about the occasional wee in the sea - but are you?

Vote on the slider and let us know in the comments!