Study to assess impact of ghost nets on Gulf of Mannar

CHENNAI: As ghost nets (abandoned fishing nets) and marine debris including plastic waste pose a severe threat to coral reefs and seagrass in the Gulf of Mannar, the state forest department has decided to assess the amount of debris and prepare an action plan to remove them.

According to a document of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust (GoMBRT), ghost nets and other marine debris, largely macro plastics pose a severe threat to coastal and marine habitats across India’s coastlines. These macroplastics result in stranding, strangulation, drowning and starvation of most marine fauna and flora. Ghost nets and other waste are exacerbating the situation.

“This marine debris can be found floating on the surface of the oceans and seas, entangled on the sea floor as well as strewn on the beaches and coastlines. The switch from natural or biodegradable fishing gear to synthetic fishing gear has resulted in an increase in the number of ghost nets accumulating in the world’s oceans and seas,” the document said.

Under the project to remove the debris, the Trust will conduct underwater assessments for all 21 Islands and adjoining reef areas of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park to find out the type of debris and ghost nets in the biosphere reserve.

Meanwhile, the Trust has invited private consultants to conduct the assessment to study the associated risks involved with debris and ghost nets, apart from preparing a detailed project report (DPR) with a 2-year action plan to retrieve them.

The DPR will also include a mitigation plan. Apart from analysing the damages caused to coral reefs and seagrass, the study will also look into impacts on the fish population in the Gulf of Mannar and its vicinity.

Under the project, the Trust will improve the capacity of the forest department in monitoring the marine environment in the state.

An article published by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) advocated for fishing gear that can be traced to its owners so anyone dumping nets can be fined and refundable deposits on nets to encourage returning or recycling rather than littering.