Creating A Blueprint For Cleaner Oceans

Given the rapid growth rate of plastic waste generated in the country, which threatens the marine ecosystem, economy and cultural heritage, India urgently needs a national marine litter policy, scientists say. The country’s diverse coastline spanning over 7,500 kilometres is under threat from marine litter, particularly plastics. This raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems and the well-being of coastal communities in the countries.

India, like most countries, does not have a national marine litter policy yet, but efforts are underway. In February 2024, the Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju said in a Rajya Sabha meeting that multiple initiatives, research projects, and surveys are being conducted to monitor and gain an understanding of the extent of marine litter in our country.

Towards this, a team of scientists from the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has proposed four policy options and 20 strategies to address marine litter pollution. The four targets include measures to address the land-based sources for marine litter, mitigate litter on beaches, measures to address sea-based sources of marine litter such as fishing and aquaculture, and undertake source mitigation measures. This report was published last year in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.

India’s history with formulating a policy for marine litter

In 2018, on World Environment Day on June 5, India committed to the UNEP’s Clean Seas campaign to raise awareness on plastic pollution and marine litter. Given the lack of data on the volume of plastics, including microplastics, entering our neighbouring seas and the prevalence of microplastics, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) was tasked with collecting field data and developing a Marine Litter Action Plan. NCCR started preparing the baseline data and a draft paper on India’s Marine Litter Policy. The research involved collecting and analysing microplastics from multiple matrices such as water, sediment, and biota and across diverse ecosystems including lagoons, mangroves, estuaries, beaches, nearshore seas, and the open ocean.

A previous study by the NCCR team, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin in 2023, which evaluated the pan-India beach litter, reported that plastic was the dominant litter type, forming 65% of the waste in 2019 and increasing to 74% in 2021. Single-use plastics (SUPs) were predominant. The principal sources of litter were tourism and public littering, contributing more than 60%.

Among the solutions proposed in the 2024 report are the strategic deployment of booms in major Indian rivers to curb litter leakage; the promotion of recycling programmes targeting irrigation tubing, mulch films, and crop covers; research into alternative materials; the zoning of beaches with restrictions on activities that contribute to litter; and the integration of marine litter management into coastal zone management plans.

Other recommendations in shipping and offshore activities include verifying materials at the point of entry and exit using barcode scanning while restraining the entry of identified plastic materials. Initiating green procurement policies, such as mandating the use of recyclable materials like paper, cardboard, and tape in e-commerce packaging, are also suggested.

“The report represents the initial effort to develop a comprehensive action plan to reduce plastic pollution,” says one of its authors and scientist Pravakar Mishra, who recently retired from the National Centre for Marine Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. “Its significance lies in outlining various targets and strategies, he says, adding: “Additionally, it seeks to enhance the understanding of the source-to-sink flow of plastic pollution.” These suggestions have been circulated to different concerned ministries for their review and inputs and feedback, Mishra informs.

Strengths and gaps

“The paper provides a complete approach to addressing marine litter pollution,” Edward Patterson, director of Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI) informs Mongabay India. SDMRI has been engaged in initiatives to mitigate marine litter along Tamil Nadu’s coasts since 2017. It focuses on the growing effect of marine litter, particularly the increase of single-use plastics, and highlights the need for immediate action, Patterson says.

“This research paper holds a comprehensive scope, engaging multiple facets of the litter problem,” shares Majesh Tomson, assistant professor at the Department of Life Science, Christ University, Bengaluru. “It is evidence-based and has clear objectives.”

“This policy will definitely pave the way for a healthier and better environment for the upcoming generations,” adds Tomson. More research opportunities, and accessibility to address these issues could be provided to come up with sustainable and doable solutions.

That said, it (the study) has some gaps, highlights Patterson. For example, although there is sufficient focus on plastics, the policy does not fully focus on other significant contributors to marine litter, such as the abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), he says. “Control and effective mitigation of ALDFG is crucial for the conservation of coastal ecosystems,” says Patterson.

“ALDFG or ‘ghost gear’ contributes to 10% of floating debris in the oceans and poses a significant threat to the marine environment and navigation,” the 2024 study states. It also acknowledges that a legal framework for the recovery and responsible disposal of fishing gear is highly essential.

Patterson also says that the study does not address the impact of marine litter on climate change. “Marine litter impacts ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds, which are important carbon sinks and they have already been threatened by the impacts of climate change,” he says. There should be clear focus on this line in the policy to study this interconnection.

“The National Marine Litter Policy (NMLP) will need better implementation, and enforcement strategies,” says Tomson. It also needs to consider how it might affect marginalised communities, and its  key performance indicators should include inputs from policy makers, researchers, NGOs, fishermen, and local residents from various fields to get a consolidated first-hand report, he adds.

Drawing board for a national marine litter policy

According to Patterson, a national marine litter policy should incorporate both preventive and corrective measures to address the issue comprehensively. “While the (Indian) government’s implementation of the ban on single-use plastic (SUP) items and the regular awareness programmes are commendable, there is still a significant gap in addressing other sources of marine litter, particularly ALDFG.”

A strong policy should include, among others, mandatory gear-marking to trace ownership and accountability in case of loss; mandatory gear loss reporting by fishers to monitor and manage ALDFG effectively; extended producer responsibility for fishing gear manufacturers to ensure the collection, recycling, or safe disposal of end-of-life gear; and incentives for litter removal and gear retrieval.

These elements, together with continuous awareness programmes, international and regional cooperation, and strict enforcement of regulations, will create a more comprehensive and effective national marine litter policy, says Patterson.

Tomson says, “We need to think a step ahead and find a way to curb plastic waste and pollution at the entry level.” About 80% of the marine litter is carried there by rivers, and local lakes, and streams of a city contribute to the litter as well.

An NMLP should incorporate, among other measures, a ban on the production and use of single-use plastics in all forms, a ban on the production and use of primary microplastics, and a mandate for municipal corporations in each city to establish rules and regulations for the collection, segregation, recycling, and incineration of litter with proper waste disposal methods. Additionally, it should promote the establishment of more recycling plants in cities and work to reduce landfill utilisation, as 79% of all plastic debris ends up there.

Other recommendations by Tomson include suitable rules by coastal cities to reduce pollution rates in beaches; regular monitoring of coastal environments to prohibit fishing gears and nets being discarded into the marine environment; and setting up efficient wastewater treatment plants that can sort out major litter, and plastic waste from entering oceans and seas.

(Published under Creative Commons from Mongabay-India. Read the original article here)