Role of protected area in reducing marine and plastic litter: A case study from India's first Marine Protected Area and comparison with Non‐Protected Areas

Abstract

This research is the first to assess marine litter and plastic pollution in India's first marine protected area (MPA), the Gulf of Kachchh Marine Protected Area (GOKMPA).We compare it to two non-protected areas, that is, Okha Beach and Beyt Dwarka, known for their high industrial and tourist activity, respectively. Standing-stock surveys were used to collect primary litter data, while questionnaire surveys were used to learn about people's perception and attitude towards the plastic pollution problem in the study area. We found that plastic was the most common component of the litter at all the sites and that it was primarily of terrestrial origin. Compared to non-protected sites, GOKMPA had the lowest litter density but the highest proportion of plastic litter. Single-use plastic bottles were the most counted items at all the sites, regardless of the conservation status of the sites. The majority of people (locals, visitors, and fishers) around these sites expressed concern about waste but were hesitant to take responsibility and discourage or prevent littering. We noted that designating coastal territories as protected areas helps in reducing plastic pollution while also conserving habitat and biodiversity. However, this could change rapidly due to either mishandling of litter within MPAs or neighboring non-PAs, and also because plastics pose an actual toxicity risk when present even at minimal concentrations in the environment. We recommend combining preventive, mitigating, and curative measures in areas where risk hotspots for plastic litter are identified, and such sites must be constantly monitored. Long-term solutions could include transitioning from a linear to a circular economy, which would involve goals for reducing plastic waste and instituting more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

Industrial ecology for the oceans

“…First, Baroth et al. (2022) perform a standing‐stock survey to collect primary data on marine litter in India. In the study they compared a marine protected area with two areas of the littoral that are not protected, finding that non‐protected areas presented, in general, higher levels of marine litter.…”

Influencia de los Microplásticos (MPs) y Productos Farmacéuticos y de Cuidado Personal (PPCPs) Derivados de la Actividad Humana Costera y sus Efectos en el Ecosistema Antártico.

“…Estas medidas pueden disminuir la carga contaminante del área protegida, sin embargo, debe ser una medida inicial a la espera de medidas más rigurosas de las fuentes y usos de estos contaminantes en territorio antártico. Además, cuando hay un mal manejo de la basura dentro del área protegida o en áreas vecinas no protegidas, estas medidas no logran su objetivo, tal como sucede en diversas áreas protegidas del mundo que hoy se han impactado por la contaminación (Kutralam-Muniasamy et al 2021, Baroth et al 2022. Esta medida debería ser empleada encarecidamente en aquellas estaciones donde los sistemas de tratamiento han demostrado una baja eficiencia debido a problemas de operación.…”