Fishing waste. Photo: Express
KARACHI:
The use and disposal of plastic bags during fishing operations has become a growing threat to marine life along the Karachi coast, with large quantities of waste dumped into the sea, raising concerns over environmental damage and ecological imbalance.
This practice has been widely observed at Ibrahim Hyderi and other fishing jetties, where plastic bags are used to handle and transport fish catches. Large fishing boats carry bulk plastic bags to store delicate fish during transport to shore.
The bags are used to protect sensitive species, particularly cuttlefish and squid, from damage caused by contact with other catch. Once the fish are moved from large vessels to smaller vessels and transported to various piers, the plastic bags are removed and instead of being disposed of properly, they are discarded into the sea.
As a result, thousands of kilograms of plastic waste are being added to marine waters, posing a serious risk to fish, shrimp and other aquatic life. Experts warn that the accumulation of plastic waste is contributing to marine pollution and increasing the risk of ecological alteration.
Environmental specialists point out that a single plastic bag can take up to 500 years to decompose. Over time, that waste breaks down into microplastics, small particles that enter the marine food chain and eventually become part of human consumption.
Fishermen operating in the area have urged the Sindh government to impose an immediate ban on taking plastic bags into the sea and ensure proper disposal mechanisms, warning that continued negligence could further damage marine ecosystems.
Kamal Shah of the Coastal Media Center also called for urgent intervention, highlighting that the issue requires immediate attention to safeguard marine resources and the livelihoods of sea-dependent communities.
Experts say plastic pollution has become a major global challenge affecting oceans, ecosystems and human health. WWF Pakistan technical advisor Muhammad Moazzam Khan said marine systems are already under pressure due to contaminated water and other environmental pressures.
He explained that plastic bags, although seemingly insignificant, take centuries to decompose and eventually become microplastics, which are consumed by marine organisms and then enter the human food chain.
Moazzam Khan added that fishermen carry plastic bags on boats mainly to preserve the quality of delicate catches as even minor damage can reduce their market value both domestically and internationally. He also noted that certain species of fish release substances that previously created sludge-like conditions at jetties, necessitating separate management.
