ICAR-CIFT working on strategies for marine litter management

ICAR-CIFT has been engaged in the development of fisheries technologies with an emphasis on sustainability and ecosystem management for more than six decades. In a recent initiative, ICAR-CIFT has embarked on a project which is addressing the serious issue of marine litter, and trying to evolve strategies for its effective management. Marine litter is being sourced by CIFT from different fishing operations, meticulously segregated for assessing the extent of litter and for recycling and upcycling strategies. As a first management step, marine litter recovered from trawl fishing operations was handed over to Planet Earth on 1 January 2024.  The litter included fishing plastics (gear and boat-related materials) and other plastics (bottles, single-use plastics – carry bags, packaging materials, sacs, thermocol, rubber tubes etc). Planet Earth, an NGO working in Kerala, shares the commitment for a sustainable and cleaner marine ecosystem. This initiative is complemented by the Swatcha Action Plan of the Institute, reinforcing its dedication to cleaner oceans and sustainable fishing practices.