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Fishing litter dominates the litter along the beaches of Palk Bay, Southeastern of India
Summary
This study assessed marine litter abundance, composition, and sources at ten fishing beaches along Palk Bay on the southeast coast of India, collecting 4,227 items at an average density of 0.70 items/m2. Plastic was the dominant material (84.54%), with the majority of litter originating from fishing activities—including strings, cords, lines, and gear. Social media data revealed 25 olive ridley turtles entangled in fishing litter between 2018 and 2020, highlighting the wildlife impacts of unmanaged fishing waste.
Abstract Fishing activity is a major source of marine litter on beaches, but most studies focus on recreational beaches. In this study, we assessed the abundance, composition, source and spatial distribution of marine litter on ten fishing beaches along Palk Bay, on the southeast coast of India. We also used social media to collect data on the impact of fishing litter on marine animals in the study area. A total of 4,227 marine litter and their average density of 0.70 items/m2 were collected. Plastic (84.54%) is the most abundant in the study area, followed by cloths (7.46%), glass (5.19%), and rubber (3.47%). From the result, the value of CCI ranges from 6.26 to 25.7 indicating that the coast is "moderately clean" to "extremely dirty". The majority of the marine litter collected originated from fishing activity. The most common are string and cord, fishing lines, fishing gear, floats and buoys. The presence of this type of marine litter can produce serious environmental issues, such as ghost fishing, that impacts a large variety of marine species. A total of 25 of the olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) were entangled in fishing litter between 2018 and 2020. Most of the reported entanglements were due to discarded or lost fishing gear, which shows the importance of managing this type of litter in India. It is important to manage the litter related to the fishing activity by educating fishermen and organizing clean-up campaigns.