Marine litter is not just an environmental issue but poses a socio-economic challenge as well. Discuss. Also, enumerate the initiatives to reduce marine litter.

Marine litter captured in fishing nets, food web, toxic dump, people pollution, fish, crabs, pollution, land, oceans impact on human environmental issues of marine litter biodiversity loss, plasticent formation on coastal rocks, coral loss, plastics interact with CO2 absorption.

SOCIO ECONOMIC CHALLENGES: FARMER community is impelled as fishes, crabs and other marine organisms count dip. TOURISM takes a hit as the aesthetic of a place are disrupted. Eg. in 2013 the tourists within Marina beach suffered due to pollution. Bio accumulation and biomagnification causes cancer and other malignant ailments. The polluted water also injures on the coastal groundwater. Too much litter or oil spills even disrupt the flying of marine animals. Eg. oil spill in Mannar.

INITIATIVES TAKEN: Clean Seas Campaign, FEE Blue Flag Beach Certification, MARPOL (Marine Pollution) convention, London Convention. India has come up with praiseworthy plans for coastal zone management but it needs to come up with a new set of guidelines to holistically address the problem of marine litter. It will be crucial to realise the goal of SDG 14 ie life below water.