THOOTHUKUDI: The theme for World Environment Day 2025 is "Beat Plastic Pollution," but assessment about beach litters across 64 coastal villages in 13 coastal districts of Tamil Nadu revealed Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) as the main source of trash with an average density of 1.14 items/m2. This highlights the need for strict implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility policies, and enhancing waste reception facilities.
Discarded fishnets, plastic nets, ropes, traps, buoys and other fishing gears, referred to as Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG), contribute to biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, entanglement and ingestion hazards for marine organisms and the deterioration of coastal environments.
The study on assessment of beach litter, including Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in 52 coastal villages, published in Elsevier's Marine Pollution Bulletin in February this year has established that discarded fishing gears constituted 47.46 % of litter, followed by plastics (39.64 %), and non-plastic items (12.9 %). The density of beach litter ranges from 0.18 to 6.3 items/m2, at an average of 1.14 items/m2 and 0.05 kg/m2 by weight.
During the study, the experts collected 6132 marine debris weighing 201 kg from the 1040-meter surveyed shoreline with 20 m per village in 13 districts. Pudukottai recorded the highest litter concentration with 2.68 items/m2, followed by Villupuram.
Also, recreational activities in the beaches accounted for debris of bottle caps (25%), food wrappers (19%), and plastic bags (12%) besides, non-plastic litters like paper, cardboard, and glass bottles, says the study by experts of Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI), Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and Fishing Technology and Operations Team (NFIFO) of Italy.
Speaking to TNIE, JKP Edward, the corresponding author of the study, said the survey indicates litter concentration is proportional to the fishing-related activities in the beaches. Claiming that commercial fishing is a major source of debris in coastal areas, he attributed the accumulation of debris to the accidental loss of gear and improper disposal practices. Also fishing net cuttings, which are discarded improperly, contribute further to the pollution. These plastic debris break down into microplastics over a period of time and exacerbate marine pollution, he said.
Speaking to TNIE, Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary for Environment Climate Change & Forests, said that a pilot Discarded Fishnet Collection Centre was established at Kasimedu Fishing Harbour in Chennai in August 2024. Over 18.5 tonnes of marine litter and other ALDFG were collected until May, 2025 and Rs 7.21 lakh incentive was given to fishermen. The collected materials would have otherwise ended up in the ocean, she said.
There are plans to establish 14 additional fishnet collection centres in all coastal districts to further scale up the collection and recycling of discarded fishing nets, Sahu added.