The marine litter, particularly the plastic waste, has been choking the marine landscape in coastal areas likeVisakhapatnam. There have been growing instances of fishing nets being filled with more plastic refuse than of fish inAndhra Pradesh.
With limitedspaceon their boats and the plastic would fetch them no even if they bring it back to the shore, the fishermen are simply dumping the bycatch back into sea.
As per the research being conducted bythe NationalCentre for Coastal Research (NCCR), the marine litter has been spread along the entire water column along the Indian coasts. With rainwater bringing it through various channels, a huge quantity of plastic refuse is noticed during monsoons. Apart from the socio-economic impact, the plastic ending up at the sea may have far-reaching implications on humankind as well as marine life and other living organisms.
According to a report released by theWorld Economic Forumand the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the plastic debris in the Oceans will be more than that of the fish species (by weight) by 2050.