The Hindu, July 3, 2014
Litter is choking the marine ecosystem, besides defacing the beaches, in southern India.
An
assessment carried out by the Centre for Marine Fisheries Research
Institute (CMFRI), Kochi, across 150 beaches in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu and Andhra Pradesh has brought to shore disturbing results of
marine pollution. The study also covered some beaches in Maharashtra.
Incidentally,
the United Nations Environment Programme had pointed out that pollution
was posing threat to marine life, tourism, fisheries and businesses.
Beaches
in Maharashtra topped the list with an average of 6.7 kg litter per 10
sq m. On the Karnataka beaches, litter weighing 3 g to 856 g were found
in one sq m. The Mulki Beach in the State recorded the highest rate of
littering as 1,788 g litter was collected from one sq m.
The
Kerala average was found to be in the range of 4 g to 22 g. Plastic
bottles, pouches and bottles formed major components of the refuse.
TN relatively clean
Tamil
Nadu painted a relatively clean picture as the State average was in the
range of 1 to 2.94 g per sq m and pieces of fishing nets dominated the
rubbish there.
While liquor bottles outweighed all
other pollutants, polythene carry bags, milk covers, styrene dining
plates and polyurethane foam used as insulators in refrigerators and
freezers were found strewn across the sandy stretches.
More beaches will be surveyed shortly, researchers said.
Impaired feeding
Garbage
on the beaches, floating in sea and settled on the seafloor poses
threat to marine biota through ingestion or impaired feeding and
digestion of the animals, pointed out V. Kripa, Head of the Fishery
Environment and Management Division of the Institute.
The
rubbish also impairs the movement of marine animals and prevents their
escape from predators. Sunken debris spoils marine habitats including
the feeding and breeding grounds of a number of species and hits the
sustainable production of marine resources, Dr. Kripa said.
E-waste
E-waste
including mobile phone chargers, CFL bulbs, toys and fish nets were
found among the litter, said P. Kaladharan, Principal Investigator of
the project.
The research team included V.V. Singh, P.S. Asha, K. Vijayakumar, E. Loveson, Bindu Sulochana N.D. Prema, and R. Jeyabhasker.
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