Coming up with better means to measure cleanliness of coastal areas

MARINE debris is a major threat to the oceans. This debris includes solid materials of human origin that are discarded at sea or reach the sea through waterways or domestic and industrial outfalls, and comprise a wide range of materials such as persistent plastics, lost and abandoned fishing gear, and other pollutants.

Marine debris contributes to ecological, environmental and socio-economic damage, including ingestion by and entanglement of marine life, fouling of coastlines and interference with navigation.

Malaysia is reported to be in eighth position among the top 10 ocean polluters, namely China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. While the accuracy of this ranking is debatable, the findings convey the message that ocean pollution is not a single country issue.

Global data show increasing levels of garbage washing up on coastlines or accumulating at sea, including in very remote places. About three times more garbage (much of it plastic) is discarded into the oceans each year than the amount of fish taken out. A report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) states that plastic production has increased exponentially since the early 1950s, and is expected to double by the next decade.

Inadequate management of plastic waste has led to increased contamination of the marine environments. There is a need to better understand the density of marine debris, how it moves in the ocean, how it degrades and the damage it causes. Some areas, such as the damage plastic debris can cause to marine life, are better understood but the potential harm caused by microplastics is less known.

Microplastics are plastic particles formed as a result of the degradation and fragmentation of larger plastic items. Microplastics enter aquatic environments through different pathways and are found in the sediments, surface waters, water columns and on beaches. Ingestion by aquatic organisms, including species of commercial importance for fisheries, has been documented. In humans, the risk of microplastics ingestion is increased through the consumption of bivalves and fish.

The total economic impact of plastic leakage is largely unclear but the World Economic Forum (WEF) has highlighted that it could economically cost up to US$695mil annually for coastal and beach cleaning. The potential impacts on human livelihoods and health require further assessments.

The quality of Malaysia’s coastal areas, which are among the country’s most valuable assets, has deteriorated in several areas due to marine debris.

Although currents and winds can be responsible for the deposition of waste in these areas, over half of the debris is left behind by vacationers and beach users.

Reducing marine pollution is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is spelt out in Goal 14, which focuses on the need to conserve and use the oceans, seas and marine resources on a sustainable basis.

A national survey in Malaysia has revealed that we lack systematic surveys and monitoring of marine litter, data on marine litter at source, information on ocean circulation patterns and accumulation zones along the coastlines, and the ecological and environmental impacts of marine litter.

For many years, there was also no suitable quantitative means to evaluate whether a beach was clean or dirty, with the only measure being the amount of waste removed from these areas, namely the tonnage of debris cleared or the number of trash bags collected.

The Maritime Institute of Malaysia has established a clean-coast index (CCI) to serve as a tool to evaluate the actual cleanliness of our coastal areas. This was adopted recently for monitoring purposes in Selangor, and it was found that plastic debris was the major component of beach debris.

There is a need to create a more sustainable and effective approach to reduce plastic leakages. Coastal cities and islands have to be equipped with integrated recycling facilities to improve disposal of rubbish and minimise landfill loads.

The national green growth strategy should drive sustainable consumption and production. Additional funding must be allocated and other collaborations for mobilising resources must be enhanced, including further research on microplastics and its impact on the environment, marine life and human health.