With the abundant usage of plastics in our current lifestyle, microplastics have come to be dispersed throughout the natural environment to the extent where they have reached the far reaches of the Arctic and Antarctic [1]. Oceans, especially, have become the holding ground for large quantities of microplastics, whether they were washed offshore from land or were directly dumped into the sea.
The fishing industry is one such source of sea-based microplastic pollution due to their usage of plastic fishing gear that degrade under rough environmental conditions. Although not well-studied, there has been some research on the matter to investigate microplastic pollution from the fishing industry.
Our previous blogpost touched on one such case study in Norway that proved fishing gear indeed emitted microplastics from wear and tear [2]. Similar research had also been carried out in Weihai, a coastal fishing city in China [3]. This case study, however, was able to quantify the exact contribution of fisheries towards microplastic pollution within that area [3].
Microplastics from the fishing city of Weihai
The coastal waters of Weihai are saturated with fishing grounds for marine aquaculture and commercial fishing of prawn, kelp, oysters and other seafood [3]. Despite its dominant fishing industry, Weihai is also home to several scenic spots and bays, such as Liugong Island and Jingzi Bay, that were demarcated as restricted or prohibited areas for fisheries [3].
Studies such as this reveal how the fishing industry has become a major contributor to microplastic pollution, especially in coastal fishing cities where fishing activity is highly concentrated. It raises the question of what kind of negative impacts microplastic pollution can bring and if substantial, why has their pollutive nature been allowed to continue at this level?
So why do we care about microplastics?
Surely they’re too small to pose a problem at all? Unfortunately, the phrase “strength in numbers” is immensely relevant to these extremely small plastic fragments. As they travel through the marine environment, microplastics are consumed by marine creatures and slowly bioaccumulate within them [5]. As the concentration of these microplastics increase within their bodies, the impact on the health of marine animals becomes more pronounced and deadly. These impacts include suffocation, diminished metabolism and poisonous effects due to ingestion of toxic chemicals [5]. Many aspects of a marine creature’s normal biological functions are inhibited by significant concentrations of microplastic within their bodies, leading to the overall reduction of growth rate and increased mortality.
Such is the tragic fate of fish exposed to microplastics in the marine environment, especially in coastal areas where concentrations are much more significant [5]. Although the loss of biodiversity is in itself a negative impact of microplastic pollution, the severity becomes larger when we take into consideration the impact on food security, especially for communities dependent on seafood. It is also important to consider how microplastics can be transferred from seafood to humans upon consumption and consequently hand over the negative impacts of the bioaccumulation of microplastics.
References:
[1] Aves, A. R., Revell, L. E., Gaw, S., Ruffell, H., Schuddeboom, A., Wotherspoon, N. E., LaRue, M., & McDonald, A. J. (2022). First evidence of microplastics in Antarctic Snow. The Cryosphere, 16(6), 2127–2145. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2127-2022
[2] Syversen, T., Lilleng, G., Vollstad, J., Hanssen, B. J., & Sønvisen, S. A. (2022). Oceanic plastic pollution caused by Danish seine fishing in Norway. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 179, 113711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113711
[3] Zhang, X., Li, S., Liu, Y., Yu, K., Zhang, H., Yu, H., & Jiang, J. (2021). Neglected microplastics pollution in the nearshore surface waters derived from coastal fishery activities in Weihai, China. Science of The Total Environment, 768, 144484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144484
[4] 郭凯. (2021). Fishing boats prepare to sail in Weihai. Chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202102/23/WS60347502a31024ad0baaa719_1.html
[5] Vázquez-Rowe, I., Ita-Nagy, D., & Kahhat, R. (2021). Microplastics in Fisheries and Aquaculture: Implications to food sustainability and safety. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 29, 100464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2021.100464
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