MARGAO: The initiative to prevent marine pollution by collecting discarded plastic fishing nets is set to expand across Goa’s entire coastline. Spearheaded by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the project initially targeted four beaches – three in North Goa and one in South Goa – collaborating with stakeholders like the state fisheries department and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
According to GSPCB Chairperson Mahesh Patil, the project has been a success, prompting its expansion. “We have coordinated with the fisheries department to identify locations along the coastline where fishermen can deposit their discarded nets, streamlining the collection process.”
TERI estimates that discarded fishing nets contribute approximately 40 to 50 tonnes of plastic waste each month to Goa's coastal areas. This year-long initiative, funded by the European Union-Resource Efficiency Initiative (EU-REI), TERI, and GIZ, has partnered with local industry to ensure the permanent collection, recycling, and scientific processing of discarded nets.
The project began as a pilot in small fishing communities in the Siridao, Cacra, and Odxel belt in North Goa, as well as Talpona in South Goa. While scrap dealers at larger jetties were already collecting nets, smaller fishing villages lacked such systems. Fishermen had to dispose of unwanted nets due to limited storage space in their small homes, often resorting to burning them, causing air pollution, or discarding them into the sea.
These discarded nets, known as “ghost nets” not only degrade into microplastics that enter the food chain but also pose a threat to marine life, particularly sea turtles, which can become fatally entangled in them. The expanded initiative aims to address this issue by providing a streamlined system for collecting and processing discarded fishing nets throughout Goa's coastline.