Latest news with #marine debris
Times of Oman
05-08-2025
- General
- Times of Oman
Entangled Whale found dead on Al Ashkhara beach, highlighting marine debris threat
Muscat: Specialists from the Environment Department in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate responded to the death of a whale that washed ashore on Al Ashkhara Beach. Relevant teams immediately began work, taking the necessary environmental and technical measures to address the situation. Initial examinations conducted by the department's specialists determined that the whale's death was caused by suffocation. Ropes had become tightly wrapped around its body, severely restricting its movement and preventing it from breathing. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the negative effects of marine debris, particularly discarded fishing nets and gear, on marine life. The Environment Authority used the incident to underscore the critical importance of environmental awareness among fishermen and beachgoers. The Authority called for the safe and responsible disposal of fishing gear and urged the public to refrain from throwing any waste into the sea to preserve marine life and maintain ecological balance. The Authority continues its ongoing efforts to monitor and respond to marine strandings. It also implements awareness campaigns and conducts periodic monitoring to mitigate threats to the marine environment throughout the Sultanate of from the Environment Department in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate responded to the death of a whale that washed ashore on Al Ashkhara Beach. Relevant teams immediately began work, taking the necessary environmental and technical measures to address the situation. Initial examinations conducted by the department's specialists determined that the whale's death was caused by suffocation. Ropes had become tightly wrapped around its body, severely restricting its movement and preventing it from breathing. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the negative effects of marine debris, particularly discarded fishing nets and gear, on marine life. The Environment Authority used the incident to underscore the critical importance of environmental awareness among fishermen and beachgoers. The Authority called for the safe and responsible disposal of fishing gear and urged the public to refrain from throwing any waste into the sea to preserve marine life and maintain ecological balance. The Authority continues its ongoing efforts to monitor and respond to marine strandings. It also implements awareness campaigns and conducts periodic monitoring to mitigate threats to the marine environment throughout the Sultanate of Oman.
BBC News
26-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Marine debris from US found washed up on Isles of Scilly
A marine litter enthusiast on the Isles of Scilly says she has collected about 15,000 pieces of marine debris since February, including a lobster trap tag from the Banfield said she recently traced the tag via social media back to a fishing village off the Maine coast 3,000 miles (4,828km) away "as the crow flies".She said both the US and Canadian governments had strict rules about how, when and where fishing took place, including the use of lobster trap tags."I posted on a local Facebook group I'm part of full of American and Canadian lobster fisheries, and they're incredibly helpful and supportive in trying to track things down and find out where their gear has got to," she said. She added the tag had the name Jim MacDonald on it and a family member of his had informed her that it came from North Haven."It's a little island off the coast of Maine and this tag travelled 3,000 miles (4,828km) as the crow flies," said Ms Banfield."In the ocean it's going around in circles and sort of wizzes all over the place. It's actually travelled a lot further."She said tags were regularly found washed up on beaches on the Isles of Scilly. Ms Banfield said the purpose of her group, called Scilly Coastal Clean-up, was to collect the items and sort them to be said: "In the future, we're going to send things away that can be recycled. Anything that can't be recycled, our local council are very kindly disposing of free of charge."She said the general response when beach visitors saw her clean was "very supportive".However, she added there was a high percentage of people who were "absolutely horrified" by the amount of litter washed up on the beaches. "I explain to visitors that things haven't come from Scilly, probably about 98% to 99% of what we pick up on our beaches have come from other locations," she hopes to organise community beach cleans in the appealed to anyone who carried out a beach clean on the islands in future to let her know so she could collect and sort the marine debris for recycling.
Zawya
17-07-2025
- General
- Zawya
How businesses incur losses due to prevalence of marine debris?
It is not unusual to see debris floating along the nation's inland waterways, impacting marine life, habitats, and human activities through hazards to navigational safety and others. In this report, TOLA ADENUBI looks at how businesses suffer due to marine debris prevalence. Marine debris refers to human-caused waste that has deliberately or inadvertently entered the marine environment. It includes plastics, fishing gear, packaging materials, glass, metals, electronic waste, and even derelict vessels. In Nigerian waterways, from Lagos Lagoon to the Bonny Channel, the Escravos River to Onitsha River Ports, this debris is growing not just in volume, but in complexity and consequence, checks by the Nigerian Tribune revealed. Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on the impact of marine debris to seafaring, President of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Captain Tajudeen Alao, stated that navigational hazards, equipment damage, loss of time and earnings and threat to small crafts are just few of the issues that marine debris pose to seafaring. According to the NAMM President, 'Sometimes, large plastics, abandoned fishing nets routinely entangled the vessels propellers, rudders, and thrusters. Vessels have had to execute emergency stops midstream due to debris sightings, thus jeopardizing safety, cargo, and schedules. 'Equipment Damage: During marine engine cooling operations using the medium it floats on, water, marine debris are pull-into the strainers by suction, impellers, ballast pumps, or air-conditioning intakes; and the result is overheating, mechanical failure, or total system shutdown. 'For ferry and fishing boat operators, especially those with outboard engines, plastic bags, ropes wrapped around propeller shafts often mean ruined gearboxes and costly repairs. 'Loss of Time and Earnings: Each stoppage for cleaning strainers, untangling ropes, or making emergency dry-docking for fouling costs valuable man-hours. For operators paid by voyage or charter time, marine debris translates directly to loss of income. A recent Lagos Inland Waterways report logged over 380 ferry delays caused by propeller entanglements in 2024 alone. 'Threat to Small Craft and Local Transport: Speedboats, wooden canoes, sports crafts, and water taxis in coastal towns suffer disproportionately. Large floating debris as submerged logs which are barely visible in tidal waters have been known to cause capsizing, hull puncture, and loss of control which have led to unnecessary loss of lives on our waterways. These are not hypothetical risks, they are daily realities in places like Epe, Badagry, Yenagoa, and Calabar.' Effect on fishing Aside affecting the seafaring business, fishermen are not left out of the menace that marine debris can unleash. Also speaking on the impact on fishing, the Second Vice President of NAMM, Captain Olajide Olugunwa ,stated that marine debris lead to reduced catch for fishermen. In the words of Captain Olajide Olugunwa, 'In Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa, fishermen report increasing instances of reduced catch, fish with plastic content in their stomachs, or fish exhibiting deformities and toxic odor. This undermines marketability, compromises protein sources, and collapses rural incomes. 'Scientific studies in Nigerian coastal states now confirm the presence of microplastics in commercially consumed fish and shellfish. This presents a long-term public health hazard through biomagnification, potentially linked to hormonal disruptions, gastrointestinal diseases, and cancer. 'From torn nets caught on submerged scrap metal to destroyed traps and blocked fish channels, artisanal fishers are losing hundreds of millions of naira annually. Larger industrial trawlers incur greater dry-docking frequency and fuel costs to avoid debris-heavy zones. 'Also, Sea turtles, dolphins, manatees, and juvenile fishes are often found entangled in ghost fishing nets or suffocated by ingestion of plastic. These events are not rare; they are now endemic. What was once an ecological concern has become a commercial catastrophe.' ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: Nigeria's inflation rate eases to 22.22% — NBS Tourism implication The NAMM President further revealed that marine debris cause major degradation to the nation's coastline, leading to losses in the tourism space. 'Marine debris wash up on Nigeria's beaches, from Tarkwa Bay to Oguta Lake, turning tourist zones into unsightly dumps. Once-pristine resort areas now host plastic-laden coastlines, eroding our tourism potential, property value, and coastal livelihoods. 'Aside effect on tourism, it also comes with health implications for Nigerians. Decomposing garbage in water harbors bacteria, releases methane and leachate, and creates breeding grounds for vectors, leading to cholera outbreaks, skin infections, and respiratory illness among riverside communities. 'Foreign shipping lines now raise operational concerns when approaching Nigerian ports. Images of floating debris near Apapa Anchorage, warped quay aprons, or clogged port approaches discourage long-term investment and lower our competitiveness in West Africa's maritime corridor. 'We risk handing our children a coastline littered with synthetic waste, poisoned waters, and lifeless estuaries. Without systemic change, marine debris may become one of Nigeria's most challenging environmental legacies. This is an urgent call for action,' Captain Tajudeen Alao warned. Way forward With marine debris threatening to take over Nigeria's maritime space, the following solutions via a multi-tiered approach is urgently recommended. National Marine Debris Act: Establishment of a legislative framework backed by NASS for marine debris regulation, clearly defining categories of debris, offenses, penalties, and institutional responsibilities. Mandatory Debris Management Plans: Make it compulsory for Shipping lines, Terminals, and Offshore Platforms to file and implement Marine Debris Mitigation Plans, like the oil spill response protocols. Integrated Coastal Waste Governance: Empower a joint taskforce of NIMASA, NIWA, NESREA, and state environmental agencies to monitor, enforce, and coordinate coastal cleanup operations. Enforcement/Sanctions: Impoundment and fines (minimum of ₦5 million) for any operator caught disposing off waste into water bodies. Community Waste-to-Wealth Incentives: Encourage local recovery and recycling initiatives through grants, maritime youth engagement, and training programs. Surveillance Technology Investment: Deploy satellite-based marine surveillance, drone sweeps, and radar-augmented buoys to detect and monitor debris zones in real time. Public enlightenment: Build a coalition of schools, churches, mosques, market associations and transport unions around a unified message: 'Protect Our Waters. Preserve Our Future.' Also, part of the public enlightenment effort should include integration of ocean literacy and anti-littering education into primary and secondary curricula across coastal states. Private Sector Responsibility: Food and beverage multinationals must be accountable for their packaging waste – via Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms. Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Nova Scotia funding coastal cleanup projects
The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is once again offering funding to members of the seafood industry, community groups and other organizations to support shoreline cleanup projects. Funding is available through the Marine Debris Clean-up Program for: shoreline cleanups – up to a maximum of $2,000 per event; applications will be accepted until Feb. 1, 2026, or until all available funds are allocated litter prevention projects – up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, to a maximum of $3,000 per project; applications are open until June 30 marine debris recycling – up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, to a maximum of $5,000 per project; applications are open until June 30 'Clean coastlines benefit local communities and enhance the reputation of our seafood industry as a provider of top-quality products,' said Kent Smith, minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. 'Our goal is to limit the amount of debris that reaches the shore and increase recycling from cleanup initiatives.' Kelly Mackarous the coastal and marine program manager at Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation said the program inspires more collaborative efforts dedicated to clean coastlines. 'Through continued support from the Marine Debris Clean-up Program, Coastal Action has been able to continue a range of projects that not only target persistent marine debris on Nova Scotia's shorelines but also strengthen our relationships with local partners,' Mackarous said. June 8 is World Ocean Day, with events taking place throughout Nova Scotia, a province with 13,000 kilometres of coastline. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
