Pollution in fishing harbours

Marine pollution

Marine Pollution is the “Introduction by man, directly of indirectly of substances or energy into the marine environment (including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human health, hindrance to marine activities including fishing, impairment of quality for use of seawater and reduction of amenities.

Potential Sources of Pollution in fishing harbours

1. Sewage Pollution - The untreated waste water coming from households is left untreated into the sea creates unsuitable environment for fish and serves as a reservoir for infectious diseases.
2. Heavy Metal Pollution - Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium are known to accumulate in the muscle of fishes. Discharges with these heavy metasl would pass through food chain and will finally come to humans. These heavy metal affect nervous system of man and causes various disorders.
3. Oil pollution - Hull and engine maintenance leave behind large quantity of engine and hydraulic oil.
4. Toxic components like TBT, Copper may leach out from paints. Toxic wastes from spent batteries and acids
5. Use of non approved refueling operation which is done along side the jetty
6. Wastes generated through fish handling like gut, skin, scales etc.,
7. Coastal Litter – plastic and polystyrene boxes are not biodegradable and their use leave a huge quantity of litter.
8. Used tyre, ropes, nets are the major non biodegradable flotsam in the fishing harbours.

How to avoid Fishing harbour Pollution

1. Do not dump waste generated like oil and grease during hull and engine maintenance in the sea.
2. Do not throw plastic cans, nets, tyre and plastic bags into the sea.
3. Avoid untreated sewerage mixing in the fishing harbour/ landing centre area
4. Avoid single use packaging material rather use plastic, steel or wooden.
5. Never throw off waste over board. Floating litter may damage the bilge pump and propeller.
6. Never use water from inside the port to rinse the fish
7. Toxic and non toxic wastes should be disposed off separately.
8. Reduce Recycle and Reuse is the way to avoid pollution of any kind
9. Formation of community management cell for the disaster risk reduction.

Source : Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing (NETFISH), Kochi, Kerala, India