Beach to bin: Tamil Nadu to open centres to collect, recycle discarded fishing nets
TN-SHORE project’s initiative is close to a trash-to-treasure opportunity for fishers as they will be paid for handing over-used nets and marine wastes
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CHENNAI: With around 50 per cent of waste collected from shorelines across the state found to be abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has identified 12 sites across the coastal districts to set up centres to collect and recycle the ALDFGs.
The collection centres will be constructed and operated under the Tamil Nadu Fishnet Initiative (TNFI), which is part of the TN-SHORE project (Tamil Nadu State Coastal Habitat and Resources Environment Management) and focuses on sustainable coastal development, enhancing coastal ecosystem resilience, and improving livelihoods for coastal communities.
Under the TNFI, agencies that will be appointed by the board will not only collect and recycle abandoned fishing gear but also provide incentives to fishermen for handing over discarded nets and other marine waste, based on present market rates.
Moreover, the agencies will conduct comprehensive assessments at the selected sites to quantify discarded nets and other marine litter generated. The revenue generated from collecting discarded fishing nets and litter will not be utilised for purposes other than providing incentives to fishermen, operations and maintenance of the collection centres.
“Once discarded or lost in the ocean, fishnets continue to entrap marine animals, causing injury, suffocation and death of various species, including fish and turtles. Over the course of time, the nets degrade into smaller particles, contributing to microplastic pollution, which poses long-term environmental and health risks,” a TNPCB document said.
On behalf of the TNPCB, the selected agencies will conduct training workshops for the fishing community to teach them techniques for retrieving fishnets, sorting marine litter and adopting sustainable fishing practices.
While a similar centre is active in the Kasimedu fishing harbour, the 12 sites identified for more centres are at Pazhaverkadu village in Tiruvallur, Kovalam in Chengalpattu, Koonimedu in Villupuram, Mudalsalodai fish landing centre in Cuddalore, Pazhaiyar fishing harbour in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam fishing harbour in Nagapattinam, Muthupettai region in Tiruvarur, Mallipattinam fishing harbour in Thanjavur, Kottaipattinam in Pudukkottai, Thoothukudi fishing harbour in Thoothukudi, Uvari Beach in Tirunelveli and Chinnamuttom fishing harbour in Kanniyakumari. The TNPCB has yet to identify a site for Ramanathapuram.
As per the baseline survey report that was prepared under the TNFI and released a few weeks ago, the survey team identified around 1.61 lakh abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) weighing 6,466 kg along beach areas in 52 villages across the state.
Of the total marine litter found in the surveyed areas, as much as 31.30 per cent were fishing ropes and 10.2 per cent were floats and buoys. Gillnets and similar nets contributed to 4.7 per cent and fishing lures and lines contributed to 1.30 per cent. Combined, all types of ALDFG amounted to 47.46 per cent. Moreover, 39.46 per cent were plastic and about 12.90 per cent were non-plastic wastes.
Apart from polluting beach areas, ALDFG also has found its way to garbage dumps managed by local bodies. As per the survey, at the 10 solid waste dumping sites identified near the sites, 59.27 per cent of litter was domestic wastes, 23 per cent was fishery by-catch wastes and the remaining 17.72 per cent was ALDFG.
Meanwhile, between August 2024 and January 2025, the Kasimedu centre collected 11,189 kg marine litter, more than 97 per cent of which were HDPE fishnets, and paid close to Rs. 4.50 lakh incentives to fishermen. Of this waste, as much as 10,710 kg were sent for recycling.
