A recent study by marine experts has revealed that commercial fishing vessels are a major source of marine plastic pollution along the Namibian coast.
Data collected by fisheries observers between 2003 and 2020 found 79 incidents of plastic waste disposal in the ocean.
The waste involves non-biodegradable objects, fishing gear, plastic bottles, and single-use plastic items.
These accounted for 55.7% of the reported incidents, followed by unspecified plastic items (25.3%), fishing gear (8.9%), plastic bottles (5.0%), plastic gloves (1.3%), and single-use plastic bags (3.8%).
According to the authors, Victoria Erasmus, Timoteus Kadhila, Kassian Amesho and Adriano Mabilana, these materials, often discarded during routine fishing operations, pose significant risks to marine life, including ingestion, entanglement, and habitat disruption.
