If you put it like that, less agriculture in such a densely populated country doesn't sound like such a bad idea. But you're absolutely right; it's a mess that

If you put it like that, less agriculture in such a densely populated country doesn't sound like such a bad idea. But you're absolutely right; it's a mess that has been left to fester for far too long. A previous law, that was struck down, allowed farms to expand on the assumption that those expansions would at some later time result in less nitrogen. That of course didn't happen, but massive farm expansions have been driven through that loophole. Farmers have also been misled by banks wanted to fund those irresponsible expansions.