The unawareness of fishers polluting the Sea Environment
During the event titled “What traditional Fishermen Should Do to Prevent Coastal and Marine Pollution” at a hotel on Kuakata Beach in Patuakhali, Bangladesh, the speakers agreed that traditional fishermen are polluting the sea environment due to their unawareness.
They are constantly throwing plastic into the sea without knowing its consequences, threatening the sea’s surface, bottom, and coast.
Plastic wastes convert into microplastics through sunlight, ultraviolet rays, and biochemical processes. These micro-plastics blends with the marine and coastal environment. Subsequently, this microplastic also blends with the food of fish, snails, oysters, turtles, crabs, dolphins, and other marine animals, which poses a severe health risk.
The event organizes under the “Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project” of the Barisal Divisional Fisheries Department.
Kamrul Islam, Deputy Director of the project, has presented the main article in the dialogue. He said plastics were hurting the movement, respiration, and food intake of fish and animals in the coastal areas. Floating plastics resist sunlight at sea.
As a result, oxygen flow in the sea disrupts, and the temperature rises. Due to this, the migration, reproduction, and food intake of marine fish and other fauna hampers, putting biodiversity at risk, which is an extreme threat to marine fisheries.
Md. Asaduzzaman, Barisal Fisheries Officer, said that the beneficiary fishers should be responsible for protecting the aquatic resources. Because the sea is their resource, a little awareness of the fishers can save the sea environment.
Mollah Emdadullah, a fisheries officer in Bhola, said, “It is essential to make it a habit to dump plastic items at designated places. Fishers who fish in the sea can bring it to shore without throwing plastic in the ocean. The sea environment will be pollution-free.
Sagarika Smriti, a researcher, working on the coastal environment, said integrated initiatives should take to manage plastic-polythene or indigestible products. Importance should give to seaweed cultivation. Fishers need to give a thorough understanding of issues related to marine biodiversity and climate change.
Didar Uddin Ahmed, President of the Mahipur Fishery Warehouse Traders Cooperative Society, said, “Fishermen of Mahipur-Alipur port would make aware to prevent marine pollution. In particular, the use of plastics and plastic materials will discourage.”
