Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) carried out a study which stated that more than the fish, the trawl net used by fishermen catches more marine debris. The study said that the fishermen in Mumbai net more marine debris as compared to other parts of the country – Vishakhapatnam has been ranked the lowest.
However, the recent plastic ban by the Maharashtra government in the state will eventually help the fishermen.
The study was conducted in September 2017, which mentioned that the 2.23 per cent of the debris is caught over the fish in Mumbai and Kochi. Meanwhile, it is 0.33 per cent on the Vishakhapatnam coast.
The study went on for one-month measuring the debris found by trawler nets depending upon the distance covered by fishing boats. According to the study, Mumbai coast recorded debris up to 49.11 kilograms per two kilometres as compared to 2.25 kg/2km off the Vishakhapatnam Coast.
Secretary of Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti, Rajesh Mangela, told Times of India,
There is definitely a lot of plastic debris that we find in our fishing nets and this has been the case for several years now. This affects our livelihood because it requires extra effort to remove it and affects marine life too. We have raised this issue with the government, but in vain."
On the western coast, the non-biodegradable marine debris including plastic, glass, metals, etc. have been recorded in high levels and this has led to the higher level of development, industrial work and tourism activities along the west coast of Mumbai.
Dr V Kripa of CMFRI-Kochi said the turbidity of water in the region was also a factor. "The sea in the west is more turbid, which means the debris thrown into the water gets settled in the seabed. When the trawls throw the net deep into the sea, it brings up along with it all the debris that has got settled there," she said.
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